


Beauty and the Beast

by Nittanynn1217



Series: Beauty and the Beast [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-21 05:31:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 47,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4816946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nittanynn1217/pseuds/Nittanynn1217
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(I want to apologize in advance if this has already been done) InuYasha is a spoiled demon prince who pisses off the wrong priestess. Kagome is a well-read shrine maiden who lives alone with her Grandfather. Through a mysterious twist of fate they meet. What happens next? Read to find out... Rated T for future content</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So one night, many moons ago… I had this brain revelation/epiphany while I was trying to go to sleep and my mind wouldn’t STFU and let me go to sleep…  
> I’d been reading a bunch of InuYasha fanfics, because I binge-watched the entire series and sequel, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. Then I all of a sudden started singing Be Our Guest in french for like no reason other than the fact that I’m suuuper freaking random.  
> Then my brain just clicked: I COULD DO A THING! A thing with Kagome and InuYasha being Beauty and the Beast!!!  
> So I did it.  
> The end. 
> 
>  
> 
> lol but for realsies, I have started this ficlet, and I apologize in advance if this already exists. To be completely honest with the way I write it would end up being a completely different story anyway so… There ya go!
> 
> This fic is posted on Fanfiction.net https://www.fanfiction.net/~nittanynn1217 and on my personal tumblr http://nittanynn.tumblr.com/ .....  
> I got really annoyed with how FF tracks my views and whatnot, hence my signing up here.
> 
> but with out any further ado... enjoy the show!

The old priestess grunted as she hobbled her way up the path towards the main gates of the castle. Her old bones ached and her joints creaked in the cold winter air. She hoped that this castle would better receive her than the previous which was currently at maximum capacity due to the hard freeze moving in from the east. She strained her eyes as she drew nearer, examining the heavy guard and string of villagers huddled in a circle just outside the gates of the European style castle. Perhaps her welcome would be the same here.

No matter.

She approached the gates and called to the guards. "Why ever are all these poor villagers being left to freeze in this harsh weather?"

One armored guard eyed her warily before replying in a booming voice. "Young Lord InuYasha has forbidden any entry at this point in time."

The priestess could sense that the castle was full of demon-kind and the villagers surrounding her were naught but humans. Perhaps it was for the better: demons are not the gentlest creatures, especially when it comes to humans. But it plagued her mind none the less for she had never known demons to be so totally inhospitable when there were bargains to be made.

"Would you not permit them at least into the gates to escape the winds?"

The guard sighed heavily. "I truly wish I could, madam priestess, were it not for fear of the wrath of the young lord." This guard was human, she could sense it.

"Is this young lord truly so terrifying?"

His fear radiated off of him in waves as he shifted from foot to foot.

She sighed. There was indeed work to be done here.

"I demand to be admitted audience with this InuYasha." She pounded her walking stick on the ground and the guards jumped to attention. The gate doors creaked open and she was greeted by the guard she had been speaking to. He bowed deeply.

"Might I have your name to make the introduction?" He offered the old priestess his arm.

She chuckled and placed her withered arm on his strong arm. "You may call me Kikyo, young lad."

. : Inside the castle: .

"Milord InuYasha, I present the priestess Kikyo, for an audience with your lordship."

There was a sound of something glass shattering against stone.

"Hojo, did I not command that no one be permitted entrance into the castle?!"

Kikyo winced at the voice she could hear clearly through the heavy throne room doors. Obviously this would be a difficult task indeed. She steeled herself and pushed through the doors.

The guard, Hojo, was crouched by the door, covering his head with his arms. There were pieces of what used to be a wine glass scattered on the floor mere inches from where his head had been, wine staining the stone wall. Kikyo shook her head inwardly and entered the throne room.

She bowed deeply.

The lord scoffed. "Raise your head, priestess."

Kikyo obeyed and struggled to raise her head. The lord was quite the sight to behold: long silver hair, golden eyes, and one of the most handsome faces she had glanced upon in her long lifetime.

He crossed his arms huffily and leaned back into his golden throne.

"It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Lord InuYasha."

He frowned tucked a leg under himself. "Just get to the point you old hag, I don't have time to waste on the likes of you.

"I have come seeking refuge from the cold winds of winter."

InuYasha flipped his hair, obviously losing patience.

"Of course I do not ask for such a heavy burden without thought of compensation."

His silver brow twitched in interest.

Kikyo's hand disappeared inside her haori sleeve, reappearing with a lavender colored jewel clutched between and her thumb and forefinger. "This is no ordinary jewel, it is the Shikon no Tama. It is a powerful stone which bears the power to grant whosoever possesses it their hearts deepest desire."

InuYasha smirked. "In case you haven't noticed, hag, I already have everything my heart desires."

He gestured around the room. "So why don't you leave of your own volition before I have a more competent guard throw you out."

She glanced around the throne room, taking in all the material possessions he gestured to. The room was indeed filled with many treasures. She also took the chance to look at the faces of all the anxious castle folk tending to their master's needs.

Kikyo's grey brows drew together over her eyes. "I would suggest you think again before refusing my offer, honored Dog Lord."

InuYasha shot to his feet. "Do not make me repeat myself! Guards, remove this ugly old priestess from my sight immediately!"

Kikyo raised her staff and slammed it down on the stone floor, a blinding light emitting from its head and consuming the entire room. Kikyo felt the weariness leave her body and her skin tightened and condensed across her forming muscles.

When the light receded at last, Kikyo was no longer an old priestess; she was a beautiful young shrine maiden with flowing raven hair. "You shall live to regret this day, Dog Lord." She moved towards the young man.

InuYasha lowered his arms and took in her new countenance with shock written across his face.

"Your face! You were hiding your true face!" He fell to the ground.

"You have no love in your heart, InuYasha, not for anyone but yourself. You have proven to be selfish and spoiled. I shall not abide this any longer." Kikyo stood directly in front of the demon now. "I curse you, InuYasha, to feel the suffering of those around you. You, too, shall know what it is like to be unloved and unwanted."

"Please, don't do this!" InuYasha pleaded, grabbing a hold of Kikyo's red hakama. "I'm sorry, if I had known you were so beautiful-"

"Bite your tongue, demon!" Kikyo could no longer hold back her frustration with the young lord.

"True beauty comes from within, and until you learn to see this, you shall become the being which you despise the most: a half demon."

InuYasha released her clothing and clasped his hands in front of himself. "I'm begging you anything but that!" His voice clearly showed his desperation.

"It's too late, demon, you have shown your dark heart and I intend to heal it. Not once in my eons of life have I ever met a more self-righteous, pig headed demon." She let her staff pound into the ground once again, sending ripples of light towards the demon. He shrank back, trying to escape, but it was in vain; the light grabbed hold of his foot and swirled about him, completely engulfing him. The rays of light left the demon, streaking back into the butt of the staff, revealing the changed InuYasha. The castle folk gasped in unison.

He stood in the middle of the room, hands grasping his upper arms. His eyes slowly opened.

Kikyo frowned at the young man, unhappy that her work had not made him more unattractive. All the curse had done was give him two white dog ears, and remove his tail and the demonic markings that adorned his still accursed high cheek bones.

"But your selfishness affects not only you." Once again her staff met the ground with a loud thump and the rays of light once again emerged. "Your servants and vassals are cursed to stay in this castle with you, ever alive and unchanging, and protected from any harm you would do them." The lights raced towards the castle folk and under the doors engulfing everyone as they had engulfed the lord.

"I shall leave a parting gift with you, half demon." She held out the jewel which had brought about InuYasha's tragic fate and dropped it into his shaking hand. "Until you can learn to truly love and understand another person, and have this person return these feelings, you and your castle are cursed to remain as you are. But do not despair, for if you do find this emotion you are so incapable of having, the curse will be broken and you shall return to your former glory." Probably, she added in her head.

"This jewel shall shed a shard every year for the next fifty years. If you have not succeeded in fulfilling my demands at the end of the fiftieth year, you shall remain as you are now: a beast."

The lights returned to her staff with a loud pop and she disappeared into thin air. Kikyo watched the room from above, invisible to those below, and shook her head in disappointment. She truly doubted that anyone would ever be able to unlock InuYasha's broken, defiled heart.

A young monk raced over to the kneeling lord, who was now frozen in place, hands hovering over his new ears. "Master InuYasha!"

The voice brought InuYasha back to his senses and he flung out his arm, only to have it rebound before connecting with the human man and smacked himself across the face. He hissed in pain. "Leave me alone, Miroku!"

Kikyo watched as the now half demon rose to his feet and ran from the room, throwing the purple jewel to the ground. She once again doubted his fate before leaving the castle behind.


	2. Chapter One: Enter Kagome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome appears and Grandfather is the greatest!

Kagome stretched and sighed as she walked the path to the village from the small shrine she tended to with her grandfather. Nothing beat the smell of fresh mountain air first thing in the morning. She swung the basket in her hand carefully so as not to spill its contents.

She inhaled deeply as a new scent tickled her nose. 'Except, perhaps, the smell of fresh steamed mochi!' she mused as she came upon the first of many small shops that signaled the beginnings of the little village.

"Good morning mister Ueno!" Kagome greeted the old mochi maker with a bright smile before eying the day's assortment of freshly made mochis.

"Why hello there, Kagome!"

Her eyes fell upon a batch of soft, pink mochis. She gasped at the color. "Mister Ueno! However did you manage to achieve such a lovely shade of pink?"

He tutted his tongue. "Dear girl, you know very well how!" He chuckled. "Using the boiled water of the very flower you suggested."

Kagome laughed aloud, covering her open mouth with her free hand. "Well I am quite delighted to know that my reading hobby has proven useful in aiding you, at least. That book on wild herbs and flora I borrowed from mister Endo's shop was simply fascinating!"

Ueno looked at her strangely before shaking his head and sighing. "I can honestly say I will never understand why that grandfather of yours thought it wise to teach you to read. But never mind, for it has indeed aided me greatly. Make sure to find me more flowers for different colors next time you go foraging." He placed a neatly folded cloth package in her basket before shooing her on her way.

Kagome never could quite grasp what everyone's stigma was about her being able to read. Written word brought her such great joy: it was a way for her to escape the banality of her life as a shrine maiden.

She picked up a corner of the cloth and saw the pale pink mochis inside. She smiled to herself and thought she should share them with Grandfather when she was done in town. She waved thanks to the man as she continued further into the village-proper.

Kagome enjoyed listening to the sound of the small village waking to start the day: the store setting out their wares and goods, the families eating breakfast. She began to hear her name being mumbled in hushed tones and tried her best to avoid the judging eyes. Though every once in a while she would catch snippets of conversations regarding 'that crazy old man who thinks he has spiritual powers.'

Kagome sighed to hear the villagers speak of Grandfather in such a harsh way. After all, he was the only family she'd had for the past fifteen years: when she was six years old, her parents were slaughtered by a group of human bandits and she barely escaped to Grandfather's side. Sure, Grandfather was eccentric at times (always), but he was also the most caring person in the world.

Before Kagome knew it, she was at the entrance to Endo's book store. She gently lifted the hanging door and glanced around the shop.

"Mister Endo?"

THUD.

She looked just in time to see a large pile of books shudder and flop to one side revealing a small elderly man with thick glasses. "Kagome, my dear!"

Kagome hurried to his side and helped him to his feet. "Mister Endo, what were you doing covered in books?"

"Oh don't you fret on my account." He dusted himself off and stretched his back. "I just fell asleep while reading."

Again?

Kagome stifled a chuckle and pulled a book from her basket. "Well, I've come to return the book I borrowed."

Mister Endo accepted the book with a shocked look on his face. "But you just got this yesterday." He scratched his head, gauging the thickness of the book and trying to figure just how fast she could read.

"Well, I could barely put it down. Have you gotten anything new?" She stepped carefully over the pile of books from which Endo had emerged and began scanning the ones lined on the shelves along the back wall.

He laughed. "Not since yesterday."

"Then I'll just take…" Her hand stopped on one book and pulled it of the shelf. "This one!"

Endo looked at the book in Kagome's hand. "That one? But you've read it twice!"

Kagome turned to him with a huge smile on her face. "Well it's my favorite! Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!"

"Well if you like it that much, why don't you keep it?" He smiled fondly at the young woman.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly-" She attempted to push the book back into mister Endo's hands.

"No, I insist."

"Well thank you. Thank you very much!" Kagome waved her thanks and left the store. She excitedly opened her new book and began devouring the words as she walked through town to sit beside the well in the center. She sat peacefully for a while, picking out the best scenes. She let out a happy sigh, finally finding her favorite: the one where the heroine meets the disguised prince. She held the pages to her chest, hoping to absorb the words into her being and somehow bring the events to life.

A chorus of shrieks echoed around her. Confused, she looked up to see Naraku.

"Oh, good morning, Naraku." She smiled at him cordially.

"Right, 'good'." He plucked the book from her hands. "How can you read this? There aren't even any pictures." He flipped haphazardly through the book.

"Naraku, please give me my book back." She held out her hand. He sighed before dropping it into her hands.

"Honestly, Kagome, when will you stop making me wait and marry me?" His already dark eyes seemed to darken even more.

Kagome sighed and rose from the ground, dusting the dirt from her yukata. "Oh, I don't know, perhaps once you learn how to treat me as something other than a piece of meat?"

"Kagome, be reasonable." Naraku followed her through the market as she bought fresh vegetables and fish. "I dare you to find a more eligible bachelor than I."

Kagome couldn't argue his reasoning… he was literally the only bachelor in town. But he did have his merits: he was handsome with long wavy black hair and a well chiseled face, well-liked by all the townspeople, and he protected the village from demonic attacks so he was physically capable.

"What man could possibly be more capable of handling you?" He winked at her!

"And what precisely makes you think I need handling?" Kagome felt as he was comparing her to some wild horse he'd found in the forest that still needed taming. "You're still treating me like a piece of meat."

"Well, aren't you the feisty one." There it was again: that darkness taking over his eyes. It unnerved her. "Don't you think we're made for each other? Me; the dashing young defender of the town. And you; the beautiful young shrine maiden with the most intense spiritual power for miles?" He sighed contentedly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Talk about a power couple."

"So, what you're saying is: you want my powers." She shrugged out of his grasp.

"Of course not, I did say you were beautiful, did I not?"

"And you think I'm pretty. Wow, great marriage strategy." She stopped and turned to look at him. "I'm sorry but I have no intention to marry anyone right now, let alone you." Kagome turned back around and made her way home.

 

~Naraku~

 

Naraku watched Kagome's back as it disappeared into the crowd of villagers.

"Kagura."

A young woman appeared by his side. "Yes, Master."

Naraku's eyes gleamed with joy. "Make the preparations we spoke of earlier. We must motivate the young shrine maiden to hasten to my arms."

Naraku heard the whisperings of a group of nearby village women. He could feel them gazing at him longingly. He smirked at their noises.

"I don't see what he finds so attractive about that odd girl." One of the girls, Yuka, turned to look at her two friends before continuing. "She's just so strange. What girl our age can read that well? And those weird powers she has?"

One of her friends nodded, crossing her arms across her chest. "And who does she think she is denying our perfect Naraku? The nerve." That one was Eri.

The third friend had her hands cupping her face, gazing dreamily at him. "He's just so dreamy." And last but not least, Ayumi.

He found it so ironic that these villagers never once noticed that Naraku had drifted into town exactly one day before Kagome and her grandfather had taken up residence in the shrine. They merely saw it as coincidence.

Naraku smirked at the girl's giggles as he passed them, ever the dashing protector. 'Little do they know the plans I have in store for this village and its inhabitants. They're so easily agreeable when faced with a handsome visage.'

The three women batted their eyelashes at him as if further cementing his thoughts.

"Now away with you Kagura, you have much work to do." He waved his hand at his beautiful minion. She bowed her head and disappeared.

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome arrived at the shrine quickly with her hurried pace, anxious as she was to put distance between herself and Naraku. There was a bonfire burning in the center of the pavilion around which Grandfather was dancing and chanting a mantra.

"Grandfather, I'm back."

"Ah, Kagome, quick; come assist me in this cleansing." He waved her over enthusiastically. Kagome shook her head and set down her basket before joining him. "How was the village?"

"Busy as usual." She began copying his motions, dancing around the perimeter of the massive bonfire. "I got a new book."

"That's nice dear."

"Grandfather… do you think I'm odd?" Kagome frowned as she continued her motions.

"You? Odd? Never!" Grandfather waved around a talisman. "Why don't you settle down, start a family? There's that one fellow in town… oh, what's his name…"

"Naraku?"

Grandfather did a little jump. "Naraku, yes! What about him? He seems nice."

"If by nice, you mean conceited and rude and obnoxious and… " Kagome closed her eyes and attempted to calm herself. "Oh, Grandfather, he's not the one for me."

They ended up standing beside each other. He picked up a small bowl of white powder and presented it to her. "Quickly, child, grab a handful of these cleansing salts and cast them into the flames."

Kagome did as he said, holding the handful of salts in her fist a moment to bless them with her own spiritual energy. She threw the salts into the flames and watched as the entire bonfire turned the soft purple of purification.

"You did it!" Kagome was astonished: this was the first time Grandfather had successfully created something that even her own strong powers could make effective.

Grandfather picked her up and spun her around. "I knew it! I've finally done it!"

Kagome giggled as he set her down.

"It's settled then." He wrapped the bowl up in a cloth he'd pulled from his haori. "I must report my findings to the priest's association immediately! Prepare the horse while I pack my things, dear girl."

Kagome nodded and went to the stables to saddle up Buyo, their horse, and hitch him up to their small wagon. By the time she was finished and leading Buyo out of the stables, Grandfather was exiting the house with a huge sack stuffed with his belongings. Kagome bit back a giggle as she watched a few things slip out of the sack. He hefted the sack into the back of the wagon and climbed up to the seat.

Kagome picked her basket up from where she had set it. She reached inside and pulled out a mochi from the package before handing Grandfather the package. "Here, for the road."

He thanked her and accepted the package, tucking it beside himself on the seat. "I'll be off then!" He grabbed the reins and snapped them, starting Buyo off to a gallop down the path. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Kagome waved him off before heading into the house herself. Since she had the house to herself she decided to sit by the hearth and read her new book.

 

~Outside the Shrine~

 

Naraku stood outside the shrine, smiling, as he watched the old man disappear down the road. "How fortuitous." He chuckled to himself. "Kagura."

The woman appeared before him. "Yes master."

"How go the preparations?"

Kagura smirked as she rose from her kneeling position. "Complete, of course." She gestured to the gathering of villagers arranged for a wedding ceremony.

"Good." He clapped his hands together, taking in the sight. "Now all we require is the bride." Naraku made his way to the house and rapped his knuckle on the door.

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome sensed his presence even before she heard his approaching footsteps. She flinched in anticipation when she heard the knock and tried to stay as still as possible. 'Maybe if I ignore him, he'll just leave.'

Knock. Knock.

"Kagome, I know you're in there, I saw you going in."

Kagome sighed. "Just a moment, please." She put her book down and took her sweet time answering the door. She opened the door.

"How can I help you, Naraku?" Kagome faltered when she realized that he was wearing an elaborate set of wedding kimonos.

"You can help me by marrying me." Naraku pushed past Kagome and walked around the small hut.

Not this again. Kagome sighed and closed the door. "If I do decide to marry you, and that is a big if, what exactly would I even get out of it?"

She watched as he leaned against the far wall. "Well, children, for sure. I would require at least ten. All boys, of course." Kagome glared at him. "Okay fine, one girl but that's it. You'd live under my constant protection from demons and humans alike. You'd also have the honor of calling this remarkable specimen your husband."

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could anyone be so deluded as to think that this was the offer of a life time like Naraku made it out to be? Could anything he just said really be referred to as a benefit of marrying him? "Naraku, I don't even know you. Why on earth would I marry someone I don't even know? I'm sorry, but I'll have to pass." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now, please leave."

Naraku scowled and approached her menacingly. "You will regret this day, woman." He opened the door and turned towards her. "The day you turned down the hand me: Naraku."

"Well, maybe you should find someone more deserving of your love, because clearly I don't." She watched his scowling face disappear behind her door and listened closely as his footsteps receded into the distance. "Why, the nerve! As if I would meekly submit to a life of domesticity when there is so much in this world that I need to explore."

 

~Naraku~

 

Naraku smirked as he walked towards the villagers. "My apologies, good friends, but it appears the ceremony shall be postponed: the bride says she still has several preparations to make on her end." He smiled a handsome smile and waved as the villagers made their ways back home. When the last of them was out of earshot, Naraku summoned his minion.

"Kagura, I think it is time we arrange for a little accident to happen to Kagome's dear old grandfather." His handsome smiled grew wicked.

The woman smirked and bowed. "Of course, I have just the right accident in mind."

 

~Grandfather~

 

Grandfather creaked down the road in his little buggy, whistling a jaunty tune, when Buyo drew to a sudden halt at a fork in the road.

"Let's see here…" Grandfather pulled out his map and studied it warily, tracing the trails with his fingertips. He glanced back up at the two paths: to the left, a brightly lit road with the happy sounds of birds; to the right, a dark road with an ominously thick fog. He consulted his map again and discovered that the bright path was thrice as long as the foggy one, seeming to circle around a large building which he couldn't make out due to the fading in the area. He debated awhile, glancing back and forth between the map and the two paths before him.

There was a sudden gust of wind which seemed to drag him in the direction of the dark path.

"Well, there's no denying a sign like that!" Grandfather chuckled and steered Buyo down the dark path. Buyo hesitated at the entrance. "Don't worry, Buyo old boy, I'll protect you from any danger with my immense spiritual powers!"

Buyo whinnied before finally starting forward onto the path.

They were almost halfway through the path without too much occurring: the occasional bat shooting across grandfather's field of vision, the hooting of an owl. They were coming upon the weathered gates of a westerner's castle when they heard the baying of a pack of wolves.

"It's okay Buyo, they won't bother us." Grandfather patted the horse's rear, reassuringly.

Buyo shook his great mane.

That's when they saw the glowing yellow eyes staring at them through the tree cover.

"Easy, Buyo, steady."

Three wolves leapt from the trees, and honed in on Buyo. Buyo reared and Grandfather was thrown from his buggy. Grandfather lay sprawled face first on the ground. He looked up just in time to see Buyo being chased back the way they'd come by the three wolves. He sighed and got up, dusting the dirt from his robes.

There was a low growl from behind and, deeming it safer to not turn around and see the wolf that was about to attack, Grandfather headed straight for the gates to the castle. He was barely inside when the wolf crashed against the gate he was closing. Grandfather recoiled in shock, almost landing on the ground again.

"Phew, that was a close one." He turned to the castle. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see if anyone's home." He chuckled before starting up the stairs that lead to the main door. He was huffing by the time he reached the ornate double doors and had to take a second to regain his breath. Placing a hand to his heart, he steeled himself before pushing one of the doors open.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" There was no answer. Grandfather entered the hall and looked around: there really wasn't anyone here.

The door creaked closed behind him of its own volition, causing him to jump.

There was the sound of a man's chuckle followed by the sound of a female shushing.

"I can hear you!" Grandfather walked further into the hall. "Please, I don't mean any harm, I was just attacked by wolves and my horse has run off. I really need someplace to spend the night."

There were two figures standing in the shadows.

"-if you want to incur the master's wrath-" The female voice was stern.

"Please, what wrath-" The male voice was light hearted.

"You know very well-"

Grandfather approached the figures while they argued amongst themselves.

"Oh, hush, he's practically a puppy-"

"Who's a puppy?" grandfather peered over the shoulders of the two people, trying to gauge what they were talking about.

They both jumped.

"Oh, goodness!" Grandfather jumped back; shocked by their shock.

"Wonderful job, Miroku! The master explicitly stated that we are never to reveal ourselves to outsiders and what do you do?" The female had her arms crossed over chest while she glared at the man she had referred to as Miroku.

"Relax, Sango, it's not like he can actually do anything about it and besides, the old man just needs a place to stay the night, he'll leave first thing in the morning." Miroku patted Sango on the shoulder before turning to Grandfather, who was still staring at them in shock. "Old man, come, let us get you something warm to eat." Miroku placed his hands on grandfather's shoulders and began pushing him gently in the direction of the kitchens.

Sango sighed and shook her head before following.

Grandfather's eyes shot around as he took in the grand interior of the castle, which was barely visible underneath the cobwebs and dust. The young monk led him into a sitting room where a fire was roaring in an ornate, gilded fireplace.

"Why don't you rest here while Sango and I whip you up something warm to eat?" Miroku gestured to a high backed lounge chair. Grandfather hesitated before sitting in it, he couldn't deny that he was freezing and the chair was the most comfortable thing to have ever graced his back-side.

"Have we guests?"

Grandfather turned his head at the new voice. A woman about his age was standing in the doorway, pushing a trolley with tea and small finger sandwiches. She was a kindly looking woman with an eye patch over her right eye.

"Kaede! Perfect timing, please serve this nice old man some tea while I go fetch something delicious from the kitchens." Miroku disappeared out the door, dragging an extremely protesting Sango along with him. Kaede smiled and shook her head.

"It is a pleasure to meet thee, might I interest ye in a cup of green tea?" Grandfather was stunned at the old woman's antiquated way of speaking but nodded none the less.

Kaede smiled at him kindly. "All right, Shippo, time to test your skills."

A small red headed fox demon appeared from behind Kaede and glanced up at grandfather warily. Grandfather gave the small boy a reassuring smile even though he had no clue what was going on. Shippo's face lit up with a huge grin and he jumped from behind Kaede. With the careful clumsiness of a child, he poured hot water into a tea cup and sprinkled in some matcha powder. He grabbed the tea whisk and began mixing vigorously.

Grandfather bawked. "Child if you whisk it so vigorously the cup is sure to-"

There was a small cracking noise.

Shippo sat there, shocked, holding the tea whisk in one hand and the chipped cup in the other.

"Granny Kaede, the cup broooooooke!" The child bawled, rubbing at his eyes.

Grandfather picked up the cup and inspected it while Kaede consoled the child. He took a sip of the tea and smiled. "What a wonderfully mixed cup of tea."

The child sniffled as he pulled away from Kaede. "You really think so?" There was snot running from Shippo's nose. "You really think so, Grandpa?"

Grandfather smiled to be referred to so, it reminded him of when he first took Kagome in. "I do."

Shippo smiled once again. "Did you hear that, granny? My tea was great!"

There was a sudden, cold, gust of wind.

Grandfather glanced between the two servants faces, trying to figure out what was going on, when he heard a low growl right beside his head. For a moment, he thought the wolves had somehow made it into the castle. He slowly turned around to see a young man of Kagome's age with splendid silver hair and glowing golden eyes, a scowl marring his soft features. His eyes traveled up the young man's head where two white dog ears sat.

"Why is there some old man sitting in my chair?" The man spoke in the same tone he growled, low and dangerous.

"Master InuYasha, we can explain!" Miroku and Sango suddenly reentered the room, pushing trolleys full of food. InuYasha rounded on them.

"What explanation could you possibly have for feeding him my food?"

Grandfather reached up and tweaked one of the white dog ears. "They're so soft."

InuYasha froze.

"Have you no common sense, old man?" InuYasha roared before slapping Grandfather's hand away. "How dare you even think to touch me?"

"I'm so sorry; I don't know what came over me." Grandfather starred at his hand. "Are you some kind of dog demon?"

InuYasha growled again. "You dare to enter my castle, sit in my chair, eat my food, and ask me questions?" Grandfather yelped as he was grabbed by the front of his haori and dragged from the chair.

"Master, please have mercy, he just happened to stumble across the castle after he was attacked by wolves, he means no harm." Sango pleaded as she and Miroku followed InuYasha.

Grandfather held onto the man's arm as it was his only leverage.

"Mercy?" InuYasha scoffed and continued dragging him down a long corridor and into a dark, dank dungeon below the castle. "I am showing him mercy." He sneered at the old man before tossing him into a cell and slamming the door shut. "I could have thrown him back to the wolves." He dusted his hands together and disappeared down the hall, his servants following.

"What on earth just happened?"

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome hummed to herself as she swept the grounds of the shrine. Fall was finally here and there was delightful chill to the air. She found herself hoping Grandfather had packed some heavier clothing before he left.

There was the sound of crunching leaves and wheels turning over earth.

Kagome's eyes shot up to see Buyo charging up the path at full speed. "Buyo!" She was excited, Grandfather was home.

Buyo drew closer and Kagome realized that the buggy was rider less. She dropped her broom and ran to meet Buyo, grabbing his reins and patting his muzzle to sooth him. "Buyo, what happened?

Where is Grandfather?" She looked the horse and buggy over trying to find any clues as to what happened. 'Bite marks? And wolves, at that.'

"Oh Grandfather, please be okay!" Kagome unhitched the buggy from Buyo and climbed onto his back. "Let's go find him." She kicked into his sides swiftly and they were off down the path, following the trail Buyo had left on his return.

They rode for several hours, stopping intermittently to drink water from a nearby brook or to munch on some berries. Finally, they were at the castle gates. "Is this it?" She slid off Buyo's back and approached the gates, pulling on the reins to make Buyo follow. She pushed open the gate and saw one of the mochi's she had given grandfather laying on the ground. "Oh, he must be here! We did it, we found him!" She guided Buyo fully into the courtyard and closed the gates behind her. "You stay here,

Kagome was in awe of the structure before her. She'd seen western houses before in her travels with Grandfather, but those were nothing compared to this: stone block structure, gargoyles on the parapets, a grand staircase leading up to a set of tall wooden double doors with ornate carvings. This was like something she had seen in a book.

Her hand hesitated over the door knob before twisting it and pushing the door open.

"Hello?"

The entrance hall was empty except for a side table and long rug running the length of the hall.

"Is anyone there?" She glanced around, peering into the shadows. She heard the sound of hushed voices and light footsteps on stone floors. "Grandfather, is that you?" She hurried towards the sounds but there was no one there.

She sighed and continued searching. "Hello, I'm looking for my grandfather. He's very old and very lost. Please, I need to find him." She starts up the staircase in the main hall, holding onto the

 

~In the Shadows~

 

Miroku and Sango stood a little ways away.

"Well, would you look at that: a girl?" Miroku grinned at his compatriot.

"Yes, she is a girl, well done." Sango patted Miroku's shoulder.

"No, don't you get it? Master InuYasha needs to fall in love to break the curse, and for that he needs a…"

"Swift, friendly kick in the rear?"

"No, love, a girl. Specifically, that girl. Doesn't she seem different to you? When have you ever seen a young woman bravely enter a spooky looking castle such as this? I think she might be the one to break the spell."

Sango blushed prettily at his use of her pet name.

"Come; let's lead her on a little chase." He winked at her playfully, before creeping through the shadows.

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome silently followed the sounds that were leading her down a long corridor into what looked like a dungeon.

"Hello, is someone there?" That voice was familiar.

"Grandfather!" Kagome rushed to the source of his voice and collapsed in front of his cell, clutching the bars. "Grandfather, what happened? Why are you in this cell?"

"Kagome, it's wonderful to see you! However did you find me?" Grandfather smiled as if being in the cell was no big deal. "Oh, before I forget: there's a beautiful young man here, but boy does he have a temper!" He laughed heartily. "Why, there he is now! Hello, beautiful man!" Grandfather waved up at someone behind Kagome.

"What are you doing here?"

Kagome felt the demonic presence and slowly turned around. She could barely see him in the darkness on the dungeon: the only light source being a small skylight in the stone ceiling. She could sense something else about him when she reached out to him using her spiritual powers: he was definitely a demon, but something was blocking his full powers.

"Who are you?" Kagome squinted into the shadows at the figure that had appeared there.

"I'm the master of this castle."

"Then could you please release my grandfather? I'm not sure what he did wrong to end up in here, but I'm sure he didn't mean any harm, did you Grandfather?" She eyed grandfather, begging him with her eyes to agree.

"What, me? Oh I did everything intentionally. I never do anything halfway, my dear, you know that." Grandfather laughed.

"Grandfather, you aren't helping!"

"Enough!"

Kagome jumped at the voice and turned to look at the shadow again.

"You are both trespassing, but the old man offended me."

"Grandfather!" Kagome rounded on him. "What did you- Never mind. Whatever he did, please just release him, he's old and frail."

"He looks pretty spunky to me." She could hear the smirk in his voice. He wasn't lying: Grandfather was spritely for a man of his age.

"Please, I'll do anything."

The figure scoffed. "There's nothing you can do, little girl, he's my prisoner now." The figure turned to leave.

Kagome huffed to be referred to as a little girl. "Wait!"

The figure stopped.

"Take me instead."

The figured turned towards her. "You would take his place?"

"But this cold stone is great for my circulation!" Grandfather was pouting. Kagome glared at him.

"If I did, would you let him go?"

The figure was silent for a moment, seemingly mulling it over. "Yes, but you have to promise to stay here forever."

"Can I see your face?"

The figure hesitated before stepping into the path of the light streaming through the skylight.

Kagome gasped, Grandfather was right, he was a beautiful man: long silver hair, golden honey eyes, and soft features marred by his deep-set scowl. She finally understood what was going on… he was under a curse. 'Interesting.'

"See, I told you he was beautiful!"

"Grandfather, I have eyes, thank you."

"Well, have you made your decision?" He was getting agitated.

"I agree, I will stay here forever."

"Fine."

Kagome collapsed again, dreading the situation she was in. She was sure it would be hard work.


	3. Chapter Two: Dinner and a Show

InuYasha eyed the girl suspiciously as she watched the old man being escorted from the dungeon. He wasn't sure what to make of her… She was clearly brave since she volunteered to take the old man's place. He would never do anything of the sort for his own father, but then again his father had taught him to never look out for anyone but himself.

"Master InuYasha."

His eyes snapped to Miroku, who was standing beside him. "What, monk?"

"I just wanted to suggest that, since the young woman shall be with us, you know, forever; you might want to consider giving her a more… comfortable room? Something other than a dungeon cell, perhaps? Maybe something with, oh, I don't know, a bed."

He watched as the girl slumped, allowing her long, dark hair to spill over the shoulders of her kimono. Her brown eyes were glistening with newly formed tears. A frown had settled over her pretty face.

InuYasha entered the cell where Kagome sat.

"I didn't even get to say good-bye." She stood up.

His eyebrow rose. "What did you say?"

She rounded on him, frown replaced with a face full of anger. "You just made me promise to spend the rest of my life in this castle with you and you didn't even let me say goodbye to my only living family!"

"Well I didn't make you promise anything! You did that of your own free will!" How dare she blame this on him?!

"You're so rude and thoughtless!" She marched straight up to him and stood mere inches away. "Do you really think there was a chance in hell that I was going to let my grandfather spend the rest of his days in some dark, cold dungeon? So while you may think you gave me a choice, there was no choice to make." He watched the girl deflate, her hands coming up to grasp her arms, hugging herself.

Miroku was suddenly beside him, nudging him in the side. "Her room, show her to her room."

InuYasha huffed. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"To your room."

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome followed the three people in front of her as they led her down several hallways and back up the main staircase. She was still in awe of the building, taking in every little detail as they walked.

She noticed the female lean in to whisper something to the master.

He turned his head to her. "I, um… I hope you like it here." He looked back to the female beside him, as if looking for approval.

Kagome was shocked by how cordial he had sounded compared to the way he acted when they were in the dungeons. Even looking at him now, he definitely carried himself as a prince would. "Oh, yes, I do. Your castle is astounding. I've never seen such architecture before in real life. It's western, correct?" She tried to match with his mood, hoping to not anger him again.

He turned his head. "Yes, it is." He looked surprised. "The castle was built 300 years ago by my father, InuTaisho."

Kagome gasped. "I didn't realize that there was such great influence that far in this past, at least not from what I've read."

"My father was a traveler: he traveled the entire earth before coming back to Japan with my mother and building this castle."

"I see."

"The castle is your home now: feel free to go anywhere, except the West Wing."

Her curiosity was piqued. "What's in the west wing?"

He stopped suddenly and turned to face her fully. "It's forbidden! God, you're so nosy!" He started walking again. His two servants stared at each other, and then looked back at Kagome apologetically.

She smiled at them and continued following the grumpy puppy prince.

They soon stopped at a door that looked like every other door in the castle and InuYasha threw it open. "If you need anything, ask my servants."

Kagome entered the room tentatively and took it in. The room itself was three times bigger than the house she'd shared with Grandfather at the shrine. The furniture was all western: a large four poster bed with deep red velvet drapes, a sitting area forming a semi-circle of sorts around the fireplace, a large double doored wardrobe stood on the wall where the door was located, and a large window was on the far wall with a pile of plush pillows in front of it.

She heard one of the servants whispering behind her.

"You will join me for dinner. That is not a request." With that said, he exited the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Well, he's just a ray of sunshine isn't he?" Kagome flung herself onto the mattress.

She felt the mattress move as the female servant sat beside her. "I promise he's not that bad once you get to know him. He's just been through a lot in his lifetime."

"Just because he's under some curse doesn't excuse his behavior." She buried her face into the blanket.

"Wait one moment, how did you know that, Miss-?" The male servant spoke this time.

Kagome sat up. "Kagome. My name is Kagome. And I could sense his abilities being suppressed. When I saw his ears I automatically assumed he was under some curse that turned him into a half demon."

Both servants had shocked looks on their faces.

"Miss Kagome." The male servant came up and kneeled before her. "You must have some immense spiritual powers if you could sense that about our Lord InuYasha. Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Miroku and I am the castle monk and a childhood friend of the master." He grabbed her hands. "I know this is all so sudden and confusing, but would you consider bearing my children?"

Kagome snatched her hands from his as the female servants hand connected with the side of his face.

"Don't mind my husband, he's a handful." The woman smiled at her. "My name is Sango; I'm the resident demon slayer, also a childhood friend of the master."

"So has ever been a decent person?" Kagome asked the brunette woman who she now knew was called Sango.

"Miroku or the Master?" She smirked at her.

Kagome found herself laughing. "I'm not sure, perhaps both."

"Miroku has never been normal let alone decent."

Miroku pouted as he rubbed at the glowing red hand imprint on his cheek.

"Master InuYasha… has had it rough. His mother was a demon Lord InuTaisho met while in the west. She was the reason he built this castle, to make her more comfortable in this strange country. However, she was not his first wife and InuYasha is not his only child." Kagome listened patiently while Sango explained InuYasha's life story.

Miroku nodded his head, seeming to have finally recovered from his wife's beating. "Yes, He has an older brother, Lord Sesshomaru, who is technically the true lord of the castle, but he's often away now that their father has passed on. Lord Sesshomaru doesn't like the castle. He says it reminds him of how his own mother was cast from his father's side when he meet InuYasha's mother. Not that we know where he goes when he's away; we're all cursed to remain here until the master's curse is lifted."

"I'm assuming this lord of yours spurned the wrong sorceress and was cursed for being a huge idiot." Kagome crossed her arms.

The married couple smiled at each other awkwardly. 'Hit the nail on the head with that one.'

"But how long have you been under this curse? I'd say it can't have been long seeing as you two are both human and young but the castle is in such a state of disrepair…"

"It's been almost fifty years." Sango nodded as she did the math on her fingers.

"We have one more year left to reverse it or we'll be stuck like this for eternity." Miroku sighed.

"Fifty years?" Kagome was stunned to say the least. "That must have been one powerful sorceress. So was Sesshomaru not in the castle when this all occurred? Is that why he leaves so often?"

"Yes that is it exactly. He is honestly fed up with InuYasha's spoiled attitude and refuses to stay until the curse is broken. But InuYasha doesn't care for Sesshomaru anyway, so he's made little to no progress on breaking it."

"How exactly is he supposed to break it?" Kagome wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

"I'm sorry." Sango frowned. "The curse prevents us from revealing that. I wish we could; this would be much easier."

Kagome nodded. She should have figured as much.

Miroku grabbed his wife's arm and pulled her to her feet. "We have to go now, but please, feel free to explore the castle at your leisure."

 

~Naraku~

 

"So when will the wedding be, Naraku?"

Naraku turned to the villager sitting beside him in the tavern. "It should be in a weeks' time." He smiled at the man pleasantly.

"You'll be having children right away, right?" An older man, who was obviously drunk, asked.

"But of course. I don't know how we've been able to keep our hands off each other thus far."

The tavern erupted with laughter.

The door suddenly burst open and Kagome's grandfather stumbled inside.

"Kagome's going to get married!"

Naraku frowned at the sight of the old man. He should be dead by now. Why wasn't he dead? He quietly summoned Kagura.

"Yes, master."

"Why is the old man still alive?" He gestured to the very much alive old man who was going around asking each villager for help only to be ignored.

"Master, I promise you, I had that wolf demon send his pack after him. How he managed to survive is a mystery." She stopped talking when the old man approached them.

"Hello, Naraku, old chap! My grand-daughter is getting married!"

"Well of course she is: to me." Naraku smiled at the senile old man.

"What, you?" Grandfather shook his head. "No nononononono, she's going to marry a beautiful silver haired angel!" He grinned enthusiastically. "If it weren't for those wolves attacking me I would never have stumbled upon his castle and met the young man, and the wolves wouldn't have chased my horse back home, which means Kagome would never have come to find me! But she did and now they're gonna get hitched! Did I mention how pretty my grandson-in-law is?"

The tavern stilled as everyone stared at the old man and Naraku.

"Clearly the old man is delusional: everyone knows that Kagome will be marrying me. Come Grandfather, let's get you home to rest." Naraku made a show of escorting the old man home. When they reached the shrine he tapped the old man's forehead and placed him under a spell.

"Since you seem so hard to kill, how about a little spell instead." The old man wobbled a bit before standing up straight with clouded eyes. "Where is Kagome?"

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome was sifting through the clothes in the wardrobe to occupy her time. Sure Miroku, Sango, and even InuYasha had said she was allowed to roam around freely, but she still felt unaccustomed to her surroundings and wanted to familiarize herself with her room first. She ran her hands over the dresses hanging in the wardrobe. They were all western dresses, of course, like everything else in the castle. She pulled one off the rack and laid it on the bed so she could look it over: the material was a soft blue color, embroidered with white flowers, and lace frills adorned each hem line.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"My name is Kaede, child." The door opened a bit and an old woman appeared, pushing a cart with a tea set on it. "I thought ye might enjoy a cup of tea."

"Oh, how thoughtful!" Kagome smiled, gratefully. "I would love a cup of tea, thank you."

"Wow, she's pretty granny!" A small child appeared from behind the old woman's skirts.

"Oh, hello there!" She bent down to look the young boy in the eyes. "Well, aren't you a powerful looking fox demon!"

The child beamed and stepped out from behind Kaede's skirt. "That's right! I am very strong and very powerful!"

"I can tell." Kagome patted the child on the head, him leaning his head into her hand.

"All right, Shippo, that is quite enough, we have a job to do, remember?" Kaede smiled fondly at the red haired fox child.

He smiled back and grabbed the tray from her hands.

"Slowly, now, and try not to spill."

He walked with the overly cautious steps of a child and presented the tray to Kagome. She carefully took the cup and saucer from the tray. "You have my thanks, fine sir." She took a sip of the tea and felt her worries melt away. "This is lovely, thank you so much."

"What is this ye have here, child?" Kaede walked over to the end of the bed where Kagome had laid out the dress.

She placed the cup back on its saucer and balanced it on her lap. "I was just going through the wardrobe to find something to wear to dinner with him."

"Wow, that'll look amazing on you!" Shippo jumped up on the bed grabbed the dress.

"Yes, it should do nicely." The old woman smiled before scooping up Shippo and setting him on the floor. "We must go now child, we have to get dinner ready for you and the master."

"Oh, okay." Kagome was sad that they had to leave so quickly after they'd just arrived.

They waved good bye and left her room.

"Well." She sighed. "I may as well get changed." She started taking off her kimono and folded it neatly. She was still in her light under kimono when another knock came at the door.

"It's Sango, may I come in?"

"Oh, yes, come in, please."

The door opened and Sango quickly shut the door behind her once she noticed her state of undress. "Oh did you need some help?"

Kagome nodded, grateful she'd come when she did. "I've never worn western clothing before, I don't even know where to start."

Sango smiled and crossed the room to the wardrobe, pulling out several items. "First you need under clothes." She dumped the items on top of the dress on the bed and pulled out a thin white shirt and a pair of thin white breeches.

She helped Kagome out her under kimono and into the breeches and shirt. "Next is the petticoat." Sango pulled out a huge fluffy skirt and slid it over her head, fastening the hook and eye at her waist.

"Now the dress?"

Sango wagged her finger at her. "Next is every woman's most hated enemy." She picked up a corset and Kagome raised a brow.

"What does that do?"

"I'll show you." Kagome was skeptical as the older woman went behind her and slipped the stiff thing about her waist. "Take in a deep breath and hold it up in your chest while sucking in your stomach. You may also want to hold onto the bed post."

Kagome did as she was told and waited for something to happen. Suddenly she felt a sharp tug surrounding her bosom all the way around to her back, followed by several more tugs traveling down her torso. Her grip on the bed post tightened with each tug. There was one final tug just above where her hip bones started.

"You can breathe now."

"Oh my goodness, why do women wear these torture devices?" Kagome ran her hands over the boned material. Sango grabbed one of her hands and dragged her in front of the mirror.

"This is why."

Kagome looked at herself in the mirror. "What on earth? Look at my waist! It's so tiny."

"Exactly. Now it's time for the dress." Sango smiled at her in the mirror.

 

~InuYasha~

 

InuYasha paced around the dining room.

"What is taking so dang long? I told her to come for dinner; why isn't she here yet?" He snapped at Miroku who was standing in the entryway wringing his hands.

Kaede, who was setting the food out on the table, interjected. "InuYasha, give the child some time, she lost her life and family all in one day. She'll come down, in her own time."

InuYasha growled, put off by the thought of being beholden to the woman's wishes.

Something tapped his shoulder. He turned to see Miroku smiling at him.

"Master, have you perhaps considered that Miss Kagome could be the one to break the spell?"

"Of course I have, I'm not an imbecile." He huffed as he resumed his pacing.

"Perfect! Now all you have to do is woo her with your manly wiles, make her fall in love with you, probably kiss her, because what is a curse without true loves kiss, and you're done!"

Kaede stopped InuYasha to straighten his cravat, and to impart words of wisdom. "These things do not magically happen: they take time and effort on both persons' behalf. You may find it difficult to express your intentions due to the curse ye are under."

"But the jewel is but a sliver of its original form, we don't have time for all of this." Miroku stroked his chin in contemplation.

InuYasha sighed batting the old woman's hands away. "I know all of this already. I don't want to be stuck as some measly half demon for eternity. But how is she ever supposed to love me?"

Kaede smiled at him kindly. "Ye simply have to help her see past all of this and into your true heart. Honestly, the child is a human: I highly doubt she cares whether ye are full or half demon."

"But what if she does?" InuYasha was starting to feel more lost than ever.

"Ye can start by acting like a gentleman. So straighten your back and guard your tongue." Kaede tapped his slouched back, causing him to straighten up.

"And when she comes in, flash a dashing smile." Miroku added. "Let me see that smile."

InuYasha smiled.

Kaede and Miroku flinched. "Perhaps not."

InuYasha frowned at them.

"Maybe tell her a joke." He turned to Miroku.

"But don't be crass." He turned to Kaede.

"Flirt with her relentlessly." He turned back to Miroku.

"But be ye sincere." He turned back to Kaede.

"Ye must control your temper."

"Agreed." Miroku nodded.

"Fine!" InuYasha puffed out is chest, determined to do all these things. "What should I do first?"

Miroku jumped at the question. "You should march up to her room and offer to escort her to dinner."

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome turned to look into the mirror now that Sango had slipped the dress over her head and laced up the back. She smiled. Kaede was right: the dress did look wonderful on her. The powder blue fabric accented her pale skin and contrasted beautifully with her dark hair. But she was unaccustomed to showing so much skin: both her forearms and a fair portion of her chest were exposed.

"You look lovely, Kagome." Sango smiled at her reflection. Kagome returned the smile hesitantly. "Now we must do something with your hair-"

A knock came at the door.

Kagome ran to get the door, anxious to escape the care of the female servant. She pulled it open to reveal InuYasha dressed a bit nicer than he had been before.

"Oh, hello there InuYasha." She smiled at him cordially.

His face changed from shock to anger. "Who told you that you could wear these clothes?"

Kagome was taken aback by his sudden coldness. But she soon felt Sango's hand on her shoulder. "Master InuYasha, I was the one who dressed her."

"And who told you that it was okay to dress her in these clothes?" His anger was rising.

Sango quickly stepped in front of Kagome. "Master, I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

Miroku chimed in. "To be fair master, you did put her in this room and the wardrobe happened to be full of clothes."

InuYasha snapped his angry gaze onto Miroku. "I didn't ask for your opinion, monk."

"I was the one who picked out the dress, so why don't you yell at me?" Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, challenging him. She was done hearing him yell at his servants for no good reason.

"You need to remove those clothes immediately, before I take you out of them." His eyes glowed dangerously, but Kagome refused to back down.

"Why don't you provide me with an acceptable reason why I can't wear these clothes?" She felt Sango tugging on her arm, trying to get her to back down.

"Because I said so!" InuYasha was practically roaring now.

"That's not good enough! Good bye." Kagome slammed the door in his face and bolted the lock.

She could hear InuYasha pounding on the door.

"Just change and come down to dinner." He called through the door.

"No! Not until you calm down and speak reasonably."

"Fine, then stay in there and starve for all I care!" The pounding on the door finally ceased. "If she doesn't eat with me she doesn't eat at all!"

She heard him stomp away. She rested her forehead against the cool wood of the door. "What is wrong with him? Why can't he just tell me what's bothering him?"

"They belong to his mother."

Kagome's eyes shot open. "His dead mother?" She turned to Sango.

Sango sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I should have realized it sooner."

"You couldn't have known he would react that way." Kagome sat beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sango shook her head. "InuYasha had such a deep bond with is mother. It was her death that made him the way he is now."

Kagome fell back onto the bed. "But why can't he just say that to me?"

"He finds it very hard to trust new people. The only reason he likes us is because we've known him since he was a child. And even still, he pushed us away when his mother died and even further away when his father died shortly after." She heard Sango sigh deeply. "It's really no excuse but I can truly see where he is coming from."

"It doesn't excuse his behavior at all!" Kagome shot up. "He shouldn't be taking is grief out on his friends. My parents were murdered right in front of my eyes when I was six. I know a thing or two about family loss."

Sango's face turned pained. "I'm so sorry, that must have been very traumatic for you at such a young age."

"It was difficult but I had my grandfather to help me through it." Kagome felt a pang of sadness at remembering her grandfather and the fact that she would most likely never see him again. She shook it off. "He had you and Miroku, why didn't he come to you?"

"At that point, Miroku and I were both away from the castle. We were scouring the countryside attempting to find some cure for the illness InuYasha's mother had succumbed to. We left for the castle as soon as we received word of his mother's death, but by the time we arrived, his father had passed away and InuYasha was no longer the same person."

"You can't blame yourself for something you had no control over." Kagome found herself patting the woman on the shoulder again.

"I know, but I can't help but think that if at least one of us had been here for him…" She wiped at her eyes. "Maybe he wouldn't have turned out this way."

"You'll never know, so there's no point in being hung up on it. If you stay stuck in the past, you can never move forward."

Sango's eyes widened. "You speak rather wisely for a girl of your age."

"I'm well read." Kagome shrugged before enveloping the older woman in a hug.

"Let's get you changed into something else and go down to dinner."

Sango left the room for a few minutes and returned with a dress in a pale pink color and quickly changed her into it. They then headed down to the dining room where InuYasha was absent and ate to their hearts content, gossiping about various things, including Sango's husband and how they'd fallen in love.

"So you've always been in love with Miroku." Kagome shot the older woman a sly look.

Sango blushed, looking at her food as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Well, when you put it that way. Yes, ever since we were children."

"Was he a lecher even as a boy?"

"Yes."

"I was joking."

"I'm not."

Kagome laughed at the ridiculous thought of a child sized Miroku asking a child sized Sango to bear his children.

"I was a tomboy growing up and no one really noticed me that way." Sango shrugged. "I think we were about eight about when Miroku… expressed his interest in me. I already had a crush on him at this point: there was just something so attractive about how open and honest he was with his feelings. So when he asked me to marry him, I said yes."

"At eight years old, you agreed to marry him?"

Sango nodded. "He didn't officially propose to me until we were fifteen. Then we spent six years apart while we trained. We were married shortly after we returned to the castle. It was four years after our wedding when Lady Izayoi fell ill."

"Why haven't you two had any children?" Kagome asked.

Sango's face looked conflicted. "We were careful before the curse, taking all necessary precautions: we were too wrapped up in our duties to add on the additional responsibility of a child. Plus Miroku says he wants ten children." Sango rolled her eyes at that. "But after the curse, I've been unable to carry any pregnancies to term. We've come to assume that it has to do with the whole 'never aging' thing."

"That's terrible. What if the curse is never broken?"

"We try to hold onto the hope that InuYasha will finally man up if not for his own sake than for the rest of us."

Miroku walked into the dining room. "What are you lovely ladies doing down here? Talking about me, I hope."

Kagome's eyes met Sango's and they started laughing.

"What did I miss?"

"Nothing, love, absolutely nothing." Sango rose from the table and placed a kiss on her husbands' lips.

Kagome smiled as she watched the simple show of affection. Then something in her brain clicked: maybe InuYasha needed to fall in love. But then the question was: Could Kagome really fall in love with someone who seemed so resistant to change? Her heart definitely went out to him, but she wasn't sure his was open for her.

"Sango, Miroku; I think I'm going to go explore the castle."

"Of course, feel free to roam wherever you like." Miroku smiled at her before wrapping an arm around his wife's waist.

Kagome left the room rather quickly and started down the hall. She scoured the castle floor to floor, room to room, finding closets full of cleaning supplies, rooms so covered in dust and cobwebs that she couldn't even make out the furniture underneath it all. She'd been wandering for so long that she eventually got lost. "Well, this is fantastic. Why does this castle have to be so big?"

She came upon a large set of double doors. There was no possible way she could have made it to the front door. Kagome hesitated before testing the knob. It was unlocked. She pushed the door open.

"Hello, is anyone in here?" She moved into the room slowly, trying to give her eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

When her eyes finally did adjust she was shocked at what she saw: the room looked as if a great storm had blown through it. Chairs were toppled over, wallpaper was torn, there were deep gouges in the dark wood flooring, and feathers littered the floor from shredded pillows and a massacred mattress. She made her way towards a painting on the wall that she couldn't quite see in the dim light of the room. She nearly knocked over a small end table on her way and quickly righted it.

She reached the painting and realized it, like the other things in the room, was shredded. She extended a hand to smooth out the canvas, revealing it to be a painting of InuYasha, most likely painted before the curse since the painting was missing the dog ears. She caught a faint purple glow in the corner of her eye and turned to investigate. The glow was coming from a small table near the balcony. She approached it and saw that the glow was emanating from a necklace hanging on a display stand, specifically from a jewel on the chain. Investigating it further, she noticed there were several other shards of the same color laying on the tables' surface, no longer giving off the same glow.

Before she could even stop herself her hand inched towards the purple glow.

The sound of footsteps came in from the open balcony doors and the curtain over the balcony doors flew open, flooding the room with light.

"What do you think you're doing in here?"

Kagome suddenly realized where she was: the west wing.


	4. Chapter Three: Melting the Ice

"I asked you a question woman: What are you doing here?" His voice was voice was low and dangerous.

Kagome retracted her hand, holding it to her chest. "I'm sorry, I got lost while I was exploring the castle." She had actually come looking for him to apologize, but she somehow felt like it would only fall on deaf ears right now.

A low growl reverberated from his throat and his golden eyes seemed to glow in the setting sun. "Didn't I explicitly state that you were never to come here?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"And yet, here you are. Once again sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." He slowly stalked towards her, looking almost predatory. She backed away slowly.

"Please, I apologize, I got lost. I didn't realize where I was." Her back thumped against the door.

"Then why are you still here?"

Kagome gulped, the intensity in his eyes reaching an all-time high. His hand shot out and grasped onto the front of her dress, bringing his own face down to look her directly in the eyes.

"Get out of my sight."

Kagome felt tears prick in her eyes.

"Fine." She knocked his hands away and exited the room in one sweeping motion.

She ran through the halls, counting on her feet to remember the way.

She barely registered Sango and Miroku shouting after her.

She somehow managed to find the front door and flung it open to see it was snowing heavily. She shook her head and ran towards the stables where Buyo had been stored.

 

~InuYasha~

 

He'd see the tears in her eyes too late. He was such a fool. How could he constantly ruin every chance he had with this perfectly agreeable woman?

"Master InuYasha, Kagome has fled the castle." Miroku burst into his room, panting.

"Let her go, she deserves better than me."

"You may not recall, but the old man was attached by a pack of wolves not two nights ago. I'm sure they're still in the area."

InuYasha sped from the room, practically flying through the halls. He just prayed he reached her before the sun set completely.

 

~ Kagome ~

 

She led Buyo to the gates and turned to look at the castle one last time before pushing the gates open and mounting her horse.

She urged Buyo into a gallop.

Halfway down the path she heard the baying of the wolves and immediately regretted leaving the castle. Three wolves appeared in front of her, causing Buyo to rear and come to a halt.

A figure appeared from the tree lines.

"Why hello, Kagome."

Kagome squinted, trying to see the man's face through the falling snow. "Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"My name is Koga, I was sent by Naraku to find and return you to his arms." The man approached her "But he failed to mention you were so beautiful."

Kagome blushed, pulling on the reins to make Buyo step back a few paces. "If Naraku sent you, doesn't that mean you were responsible for attacking my grandfather?"

The man smirked up at her, his blue eyes piercing through the snow haze. "Sorry, beautiful, can't say."

Kagome gasped as the man leapt through the air and plucked her from the saddle. He landed lightly on the ground.

"But no matter, I shall take you for myself. Naraku can bite me."

"Excuse me?" Kagome pressed against his chest indignantly. "You'll do what now?" Her struggles were in vain, of course, this Koga was a full demon first of all, and a wild animal to boot. She was doomed.

"Get your mangy paws off her, wolf boy!"

"InuYasha!" Kagome's head turned to verify that she'd heard correctly. InuYasha was running up to them. She smiled in relief.

Koga's grip loosened on her and she took the opportunity to escape. He grabbed her wrist at the last minute, dragging her arm up to his face. "How 'bout you come and make me, dog breath?"

InuYasha rushed the wolf demon, Koga meeting him halfway, their claws clashing. They took turns swiping at each other, neither landing hits. They jumped apart, panting. Kagome ran to InuYasha's side arm automatically coming up to shield her from harm. His head turned to assess her for injuries.  
"Are you okay, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded. "I'm fine." Their eyes met and Kagome's widened. "Um, InuYasha, why are your eyes purple?"

"What!?" He turned towards the horizon and the almost completely set sun. "Shit, almost out of time."

"What are you talking about?" She watched as his white dog ears shrank and disappeared completely. "InuYasha, what is going on?"

"It's a half demon thing. I turn into a human on the night of the new moon."

"Well, that's completely inconvenient!" InuYasha grabbed her, dodging Koga's next attack.

"Tell me about it." His silver ponytail started turning black.

"InuYasha, behind you!" Kagome pointed towards a wolf that was bounding towards them. It jumped, clearly aiming for one of their necks. InuYasha's right arm went up, catching the wolf's mouth with his forearm. He punched the wolf's snout, sending it whimpering back to its pack.

InuYasha hissed in pain, cradling his arm to his chest.

"Give up yet, dog breath?"

"You wish, you mangy wolf." InuYasha hissed through clenched teeth.

Kagome quickly clamped her hands over his wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood. "Are you fully human?"

He eyed her warily.

"Just trust me and answer my question." Her eyes leveled with his.

"Yeah, I'm fully transformed."

"Why don't you pay attention to your enemy, half demon?" Kagome turned to see Koga flying towards them. She threw up one hand and a purple barrier formed around them, Koga bouncing off. She grabbed a handful of snow and, praying on it quickly so it wouldn't melt, threw the ball into the air. As soon as it left the barrier, the snowball exploded, shooting pellets of blessed snow out through the air.

Koga let out a yelp of pain as one hit him, his body engulfed in purple electricity. He ran toward the tree line, followed by his wolves.

Kagome made sure that they'd all disappeared into the forest before she turned back to InuYasha. "Are you okay?" He collapsed onto her. "InuYasha?!" She looked down at the snow and realized it was stained red with his blood. She called Buyo over and draped InuYasha over his back. She ripped a strip of fabric from her skirt and fashioned a tourniquet.

"Please be okay." She mutter to herself as she led the horse back to the castle.

Miroku and Sango were waiting at the gates and they quickly carried the unconscious InuYasha into the castle. They ended up in an empty spare bedroom.

"InuYasha, you fool. Why would you fight on the night of the new moon?" Miroku fussed as he and Sango laid him on the bed. "We'll be right back." They exited the room quickly.

Kagome climbed onto the other side of the bed and began dabbing at InuYasha's sweat covered forehead with the snow dampened hem of her dress skirt. "This is all my fault; I should never have entered your room without your permission."

InuYasha's now black brows drew together and his left hand came up to catch her wrist. His eyes opened slightly and locked on hers. "Why are you blaming yourself, stupid? I'm the one who scared you and told you to leave. This is my fault: It's not like you knew that I would be turning into a human and intentionally put us both in a compromising situation." He laughed and winced, tightening his grip on her wrist.

Kagome felt tears prick her eyes. "But still, if I hadn't-"

He tugged her wrist, pulling her almost on top of him. "Would you shut up? It's not your fault."

Kagome felt her face heat up, both from their proximity and how oddly he was behaving.

"Oh, should we give you two a moment?"

Kagome started, turning to see Miroku and Sango had returned with a basin full of hot water and bandages.

Kagome sat up, blushing even harder. "Sango."

Sango nodded in response and promptly kicked her husband in the shin. "Now is not the time, dear husband." She walked past him and set the water basin on the nightstand beside Kagome.

Kagome undid the makeshift tourniquet and ripped the right sleeve of his shirt, exposing the wound in its entirety. Sango handed her a soaked towel which she promptly pressed to the bite mark.

InuYasha inhaled sharply, gripping the sheets in his hands, his wound twisting out of her field of vision.

She grabbed his wrist making him release the sheets. "Hold still," she chastised, sternly as she laced the fingers of her left hand with his right and tucked her elbow into the crook of his arm, effectively locking his arm in place.

She focused her eyes on his wound, sterilizing it as best she could with the little first aid knowledge she had gathered from her reading. She turned and dunked the towel into the basin to rinse out the blood. "Thank you…" she started as wrung out the towel. She turned back to him and began cleaning the edges of the bite mark before continuing. "For saving me, I mean."

He cleared his throat. "You're, um, you're welcome. But I should be thanking you: you protected me when I was injured and brought me safely back to the castle."

"How could I not, when I felt at fault. You have no idea how distressing it was to see you collapse so suddenly," she replied, adding in mentally 'or how worried I was.' Shaking the thought away, she raised their locked hands to inspect his wound: it was still bright red and shiny; however, she had cleaned it thoroughly both inside and out to prevent infection. She nodded her head, deciding her work would suffice. Her eyes travelled up his forearm to their clasped hands and laced fingers. She'd never held hands with someone like this before and she was just realizing how… intimate it was. Her eyes met his and they held for a moment, unable to look away.

Kagome felt heat rise into her cheeks at the intensity of his gaze. Her eyes dropped to the towel in her other hand. "Well, your wound is clean so I can go ahead and dress it now." She glanced over to ask Sango for the bandaging she had brought to the room but she was gone. In fact, Sango and Miroku were both absent from the room. "Where did they go?" she sighed.

She tried to pull her hand away from InuYasha when she saw that the bandages had been left on the nightstand next to the water basin, but InuYasha tightened his grip on her.

"You smell nice," he mumbled.

Kagome blushed, slowly turning to look at him. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell with the gentle breaths of sleep. She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Honestly, what am I doing right now?" She held her free hand to her chest trying to calm her pounding heart. "Right, bandages." She reached over, straining against InuYasha's still tightening grasp, to grab the bandages. She felt her cheeks getting even hotter every time his fingers tightened on her hand.

She sighed, having finally retrieved the bandages and set to wrapping his wound with one hand. Once she was satisfied that the wound was completely covered and the bandages were secured tightly, she tied it off with her teeth and free hand.

"Done," she said, flopping down onto the bed beside the sleeping prince, her hand still tightly grasped in his. Her eyes landed on his face, which had softened considerably in his sleep. "He's actually kind of cute when he's not being an unreasonable jackass." Her eyes grew heavy and she yawned before drifting into her own deep sleep.

 

~Sango~

 

Sango cracked the door open after a considerable amount of silence in the bedroom. She glanced toward the bed and stifled a giggle behind a hand. She closed the door carefully, trying not to make any noise, and turned back towards her husband. "I don't think we have anything to worry about regarding the progression of their relationship."

"I never doubted them for a second," Miroku said as he draped his arm over her shoulder and pulling her away from the door.

"No, of course not. You just asked her to bear your children to test her dedication." She pressed her chest against his, winding her arms around his neck. She tilted her head coyly. "Right, dear husband?"

She watched in excitement as his mouth twisted into a smirk and his eyes took on a playful gleam. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy, love?" His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly to him. "You know I only have eyes for you."

She smiled before tugging lightly on his neck, urging him to close the distance. He obliged, all too willingly, and captured her lips with his in a familiar kiss. Sango giggled as she lifted into her husband's arms. "I think it's time we went to bed as well."

 

~Naraku~

 

Naraku lay on his side on a plush sofa in his lair. He examined his cuticles lazily.

"Master." He glanced up to see Kagura kneeling before him. "The wolf has returned."

"And what of the girl?" he asked, bored, his eyes shifting back to his cuticles.

"Perhaps he should explain himself." Her footsteps receded from the room.

Naraku's impatience mounted with each passing minute. After several minutes had elapsed, Naraku was seething and was about to rise from his seat and drag the wolf in himself, when Koga stumbled into the room. He was covered in burns, little purple sparks crackling across his skin periodically.

"Speak, wolf."

"I found the girl." The wolf crossed his arms. "She didn't seem very willing to come with me when I mentioned your name, by the way."

Naraku glared at Koga, daring him to continue with his train of thought.

"She wasn't alone, either." Koga scratched the side of his face. "There was some half demon mutt protecting her. I almost had him when he transformed into his human form but that girl of yours protected him. Bitch tried to purify me and my boys." As if to punctuate his point, the purple electricity flared across his skin, making him wince.

"A half demon, you say…" Naraku sighed, rising from his seat onto his feet. "What, pray tell, is this half demon's name?"

Koga thought for a minute, stroking his chin. "Oh, I think she called him InuYasha."

"So let me make sure I understand: you, a full demon, allowed this InuYasha, a mere half demon, and a human girl send you running with your miserable wolf tail between your legs?" Naraku stalked towards the wolf demon. He let out a sigh and placed a hand on the wolf's shoulder. "I suppose this all my fault, really." He gave the wolf an apologetic smile.

Koga released a sigh of relief.

"I should never sent a mangy wolf to do a real demons job." His other hand plunged into the wolf's chest.

Koga's blue eyes widened before the life left them completely.

"Well, that was almost a complete waste of time." Naraku retracted his hand from the dead man's chest cavity, the lifeless body crumpling to the floor. "Kagura."

The woman entered the room swiftly, eyes catching on the dead heap, before looking up at Naraku. "Master?"

Naraku returned to his seat, grabbing a towel from a side table and wiping the blood from his hand. "I need you to find me everything you can on a half demon named InuYasha."

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome squirmed in her sleep when light hit her eyelids. She tried to roll away from the offending light but was stopped short by a heavy weight on her chest and across her stomach. Confused by the strange but not completely uncomfortable weight, her eyes slowly fluttered open.

The first thing she saw once her eyes had adjusted to the bright light filtering through the window was silver hair glinting in said light and a pair of white dog ears mere inches from her face. She watched in awe as the soft looking ears twitched sporadically. Wriggling a bit, she realized that not only was InuYasha using her chest as a pillow, his entire body was draped over hers, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist, and one of his legs was nestled between hers.

Kagome blushed furiously and tapped him on the shoulder. "InuYasha, wake up," she whispered, urgently.

He growled in response, sending vibrations through Kagome's own body, and tightened his arms around her, nuzzling his cheek into her exposed collar bone.

Kagome shivered, not quite sure how to feel about the new sensations she was experiencing. Her hands tightened where they lay, one on his head and the other on his back. Once he stilled, she relaxed, releasing the breath that had caught in the back of her throat.

'Dear God, do I even want him to wake up right now? How would he even react to this position we're in?' She released her hold on him and rubbed the heels of her palms into her eyes, trying to figure out what to do. 'But he was so sweet last night. Maybe he won't react too badly.' She pulled her fingers through her hair.

Her eyes were drawn to his ears once again when they twitched, brushing lightly against her neck. She hesitantly reached out one hand and stroked the out shell with on finger. She felt a soft vibration rumble from his chest and tingle across her skin in pleasant waves. "They're so soft."

Experimentally, she rubbed two fingers along the base of the ear where it met his scalp, applying slightly more pressure. He leaned into her touch as he began purring deeply, not unlike a cat. His hands shifted beneath her, rubbing up her back to claw a steady path back down towards her waist.

She quickly withdrew her hand, far too embarrassed by his response.

She felt his groan of disappointment before she heard it, his hands sliding up her back again to grip onto her shoulders, nuzzling his face against her skin once more.

His eyelashes fluttered against her overly sensitive skin. She debated for a moment whether she should pretend to be asleep or not but it was too late. His head lifted from her chest and her eyes met his golden ones.

"Kagome?" His eyes were still heavy with sleep. He pushed himself up slowly, untangling himself from her.

"I-InuYasha," she exclaimed, quickly scrambling into a sitting position and pressing her tortured back against the headboard of the bed.

"What's going on?" he asked, blinking at her slowly, looking like he was still half asleep.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Go back to sleep now," she calmly commanded him. He nodded and laid his head on a pillow. "Good boy," she cooed at him, stroking his hair gently. His eyes closed and she slipped off the bed, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to sneak out unnoticed.

She tiptoed across the room, opened the door, and stepped into the hallway. She glanced back at his sleeping form once more before easing the door shut. She sighed and rested her flushed forehead against the cool wood of the door.

"Sleep well, did we?"

Kagome jumped and turned to see Sango leaning against the wall opposite the bedroom door.

"Sango, you nearly scared me half to death!" Kagome placed a hand over her rapidly pounding heart, trying to force it to slow.

"You didn't answer my question," the older woman said, making Kagome's face heat up again.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" Kagome said, forcing a laugh. She pushed herself off the door. "I'm going to go change now… Bye!" She took off down the hall.

"But Kagome, your room is in the other direction."

Kagome skidded to a halt, hearing Sango's words.

"Oh, right." She turned and began walking calmly back towards Sango. "I knew that."

Sango rolled her eyes and linked arms with her as she tried to walk past. "I promise I won't bite, you virgin."

Kagome bit her lip, feeling heat rise to her cheeks again.

"You are still a virgin, right?" Sango asked, nudging her in the side.

Kagome nudged her right back. "You've spent way too much time with Miroku."

"Well, to be fair, I have been married to the man for half a century." They laughed together as they entered Kagome's room. Sango shut the door behind them.

Kagome collapsed onto the bed, grabbing a pillow and clutching it to her chest. She felt the bed shift as Sango sat down beside her.

"All right, tell me what happened."

Kagome buried her face in the pillow and took several deep breaths before responding. She was still trying to process her feeling about what had transpired between her and InuYasha. "I think I'm… attracted to InuYasha," she mumbled through the pillow.

She heard Sango squeal. "So, wait, what exactly happened after Miroku and I left?"

Kagome rolled onto her side and glared at Sango. "I'm angry with you two, by the way. Thanks for abandoning me."

Sango shrugged. "We didn't want to ruin the atmosphere, especially after you grabbed the master's hand like that."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, we argued a bit about whose fault it was and he told me to shut up, which was extremely rude… But then he thanked me for saving him. Our eyes met and I freaked out, so I tried to bandage his wound up but he wouldn't let go of my hand.

"That was when I realized you two were gone." She paused in her story to glare up at Sango again. "I tried to pull away again but he still wouldn't let go. Then he said something about me smelling good. But when I looked at him to figure out if he had a fever or something, he had fallen asleep."

"He's so hopeless," Sango sighed, shaking her head.

"So I ended up having to bandage him up with one hand because he still wouldn't let me go. Then I fell asleep."

"Wow."

Kagome nodded, looking down at her left hand, digging the fingers into the pillow. "That was the first time I'd held hands like that. But this morning was even more embarrassing!"

Sango's eyes gleamed.

"When I woke up, we were… cuddling, I guess: he was using my chest as a pillow and his arms were hugging my waist." Kagome felt her cheeks grow hot remembering the feeling of his arms around her.

Sango grinned. "Maybe he's not so hopeless after all. What happened next?"

Kagome blushed harder remembering what came next. "Well, I tried to wake him up but that just made him hold me tighter. So then I… I played with his ears." Kagome buried her face into the pillow again.

She heard Sango gasp. "No! He never lets anyone touch his ears. In fact, that was the offense for which your grandfather was imprisoned. What was it like?"

"Well, it was soft and warm. When I touched one, he purred." She snuck a peek at Sango over her pillow.

"Did he, now?" Sango laughed. "That is a funny image: our great dog lord, purring like a kitten."

Kagome giggled. "It was ridiculously adorable. Then he started shifting in his sleep and well… it was like a story I'd read was coming to life before my very eyes. I was experiencing sensations I'd only read about in books…" she trailed off and hid behind her pillow again. "Books I hid from Grandfather."

"Scandalous, a woman as pure and holy as you reading something as dirty as romance novels." Sango winked at her when she stuck her head up to glare at her.

"He woke up when I stopped touching his ear and sat up. He was clearly still half asleep, so I made a run for it," Kagome said, trying to avoid any of the more embarrassing details.

"Wait a second, go back to the 'sensations'."

Kagome frowned and shoved Sango half-heartedly. "There were… hand… things. His hands…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered the pressure of his fingertips dragging languidly down her back. Butterflies erupted in her stomach.

She caught Sango quirking an eyebrow at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, I don't know how to explain it! Plus, it's too embarrassing. I'm not accustomed to having someone to talk to about these things, let alone having… things to talk about."

Sang pulled the pillow away from Kagome. "I'm here for you, no matter what. Think of me as the older sister you never wanted."

Kagome smiled, feeling tears prick at her eyes. She sat up and threw her arms around Sango's shoulders. "Thank you, I will. Be prepared, though, I've opinions on everything."

Sango laughed before pulling away. "But really, now… did you enjoy it?"

"Enjoy what?"

"InuYasha's 'hand things'."

Kagome thought for a moment, replaying her feelings in her mind. "I… think I did."

Kagome gasped as Sango suddenly pulled her into another hug. "This is great! This fantastic!" Sango said, squeezing Kagome even tighter.

 

~InuYasha~

 

Once the door closed, InuYasha sat straight up, holding a hand to his mouth. He'd been awake through the whole thing, pretending to be asleep because he was embarrassed by how much he enjoyed their contact.

"Sleep well?"

InuYasha jumped, eyes darting around the room trying to pinpoint the location of the voice, but the room seemed empty. Miroku's head appeared from behind a couch that was facing away from the bed.

"Miroku!" InuYasha practically growled. "How long have you been there?!" He threw his pillow at the monk and watched as it rebounded off of the air right in front of his face.

Miroku stretched and rose from the couch. "Oh, not too long: I came in just before you both woke up to make sure you weren't pulling each other's hair out." He grinned at InuYasha. "Imagine my surprise, finding the two of you in such a… compromising situation. Then Kagome started to wake, so I ducked for cover."

InuYasha leapt off the bed, grabbing hold of Miroku's shirt. "You little shit!"

Miroku rolled his eyes at him. "But master, this is good! You two obviously have strong physical attraction: I've never seen you react that way to your ears being touched. So now all you have to do is get her to feel that attraction to your awful personality and make her fall in love with you."

InuYasha resisted the urge to punch the monk since he knew it wouldn't work anyway. Besides, Miroku was right: he needed to focus on falling in love with Kagome and having her come to reciprocate it.

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome and InuYasha spent the next two weeks talking casually and getting to know each other, all while trying to avoid the topic of the morning after the wolf attack. Kagome was impressed with the lengths to which InuYasha seemed to be going to control his temper, not only around her but around the castle staff as well. While he wasn't perfect just yet, Kagome knew that the change wasn't one that would occur over night and would require work from everyone, not just InuYasha. She could already feel the icy wall surrounding his heart starting to melt. It was only a matter of time before it began to crack and eventually shatter, exposing his true heart. Kagome only hoped that, when that did occur, she would be there to catch him when he falls.

He'd slowly begun to open up to her at first, gracing her with rare smiles on occasion. Her heart now fluttered every time she was near him, every time she heard his voice, every time he extended an arm to her.

One particularly cold afternoon, they decided to lunch in the gardens. It had snowed heavily the night before, coating everything in a thick blanket of white. Kagome caught sight of a stone bench peeking out of the snow and dragged InuYasha towards it.

"Let's sit over there: there's a wonderful view of the stream and the sun hits that bench is just perfect."

InuYasha huffed in response. When they reached the bench; however, he quickly dusted the seat off before Kagome could do it herself.

"Why, thank you, InuYasha," she said, smiling up at him.

He huffed again, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "Whatever," he mumbled.

She sat down, setting their lunch in her lap and patting the bench beside her, urging him to sit down too.

He finally sat down and Kagome passed him his portion. They sat there awhile, enjoying each other's quiet company while eating their food to the sound of the babbling stream and the chirping birds. The sun peeking through the clouds gave enough heat to warm them pleasantly.

A sudden thought occurred to Kagome. "I never properly apologized to you," she said, breaking the silence. She turned her head to look at him, he was confused. "I never apologized for wearing your mother's clothes without your permission."

"Well, I did put you in that room. And I even said you had free roam of the castle." InuYasha sighed deeply. "It was just too much… seeing you in her clothes. I hadn't seen them in so long and that dress in particular was her favorite."

Kagome hesitated before placing a hand gently on his shoulder and giving it a light a squeeze. "I'm so sorry, you must have been so close to her. I'm sure it was devastating to lose her."

InuYasha's cheeks were pink when he turned to look at her but Kagome wasn't sure to attribute it to the cold weather or embarrassment.

He quickly turned away from her. "Whatever, thanks for apologizing, I guess…" he trailed off scratching the side of his face. He stood up suddenly. "I just remembered, I have something… princey to do. If you'll excuse me." He bowed to her and Kagome watched, baffled, as he made his way back up the path they had come down, his silver ponytail swaying behind him.

She shook her head and drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders. After she finished eating, Kagome decided to feed the leftovers to some birds that were scavenging in the snow nearby. Her mind wandered to InuYasha and how happy she was that he'd finally opened up to her, even the slightest bit.

"Kagome!"

Kagome turned, pulled from her thoughts by the sudden voice, to see Miroku jogging towards her. "Oh, hello there, Miroku."

He stopped in front of her, gasping for breath. "The master requests your company." He was glistening with sweat.

Slightly concerned, she nodded and followed him back into the castle. He led her down a hall she'd never gone down before. At the end of the hall was a set of heavy looking double doors. InuYasha was in front of the doors, pacing back and forth, fidgeting with his jacket sleeves. Kagome's heart began to race with worry and anticipation. As they drew nearer, he seemed to grow even more anxious.

When they finally reached the end of the hall, Miroku bowed and retreated the way they'd come. Kagome watched him leave before turning back to InuYasha, her concern mounting. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

He smiled awkwardly at her. "Everything's fine. I have a surprise for you."

"Oh, a surprise?"

InuYasha smiled more broadly, nodding his head. "Close your eyes."

Kagome eyed him suspiciously.

"Just trust me."

Her heart fluttered at those words and her eyes closed. She heard the creak of and heavy groan as InuYasha pushed the doors open and her heart beat grew even louder.

"I'm going to take your hands now."

She nodded and felt his fingers ghost across her forearms and trace a light path down to her palms. She chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to calm the butterflies that had sprung to life at his touch. He slowly lifted her hands, brushing his fingers across her palms up to her fingers so they were palm to palm, then laced their fingers together.

Kagome was surprised by the familiar, intimate gesture. They hadn't had actual skin to skin contact since the morning after the wolf attack. The contact only made her remember that morning even more vividly. The butterflies grew even more active in the pit of her stomach.

His fingers tightened on her hands briefly before relaxing again. "We're going to start walking now, okay?"

She opted for a nod since she was positive that her voice would betray her nerves. She felt his fingers slip from between hers, moving to cup her fingers instead, and his thumbs rubbing softly over her knuckles. He urged her forward with his fingers, moving her into the room one tentative step at a time. She finally felt him press back against her hands, bringing them to a stop.

His hands disappeared. "InuYasha?" She reached out, grabbing onto his jacket sleeve. His hand covered hers before gently pushing it away.

"Just stay right here." He moved a few steps away. "And keep your eyes closed."

She could tell the room was massive from the way his footsteps echoed within it. Suddenly, light hit her face, bleeding through her eyelids, making her flinch. "Can I open them now?"

"Not yet!"

There was the sound of several more curtains being thrown open and more light filtered into her tightly shut eyes. Her fingers worried themselves as she impatiently waited for the chance to open her eyes.

Finally, she felt his hands on her shoulders from behind her. "One last thing." His hands left her shoulders and reappeared at the clasp to her cloak. She felt his fingers gently brushing against the skin left bare by her dress and had to bite back a giggle when his bangs tickled her cheek. She felt a rush of pleasantly warm air as he swung the cloak from her shoulders. His footsteps left her once more as he dropped her cloak somewhere in the room.

He returned to her back again, hands finding her shoulders again, and giving them a gentle squeeze. She felt his breath on her ear and cheek when he spoke again. "You can open your eyes now."

She peeked out of one eye, hesitantly, and glanced around the room. Her other eye shot open and her hands came up to cover her gaping mouth. It was a library. The largest library she'd ever seen. Kagome gasped at the sheer size of the room: two stories of bookshelves lined the every wall, ladders were mounted to a track system that surrounded the entirety of the room, floor to ceiling windows occupied the only wall space not covered in bookcases, and there was second level at the back of the room.

"You have a library?" Kagome could barely contain her excitement as she practically ran to the nearest bookcase, running her finger tips along a row of books. She turned back to look at InuYasha who was closer than she'd expected, smiling the kindest smile she'd ever seen.

She quickly averted her eyes, feeling her heart start pounding in her chest again. "I've never seen so many books in one place in my life." She went to a ladder and climbed the first two rungs, peering at the titles embossed in the leather spines.

"So, you like it?" he asked, his voice once again closer than she'd expected.

"I love it," she answered quietly, turning to look at him. She was right at eye level with him, their face's only a small distance apart.

"Then I'll share her with you."

"Her?"

InuYasha smiled at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "This was my mother's: she loved to read. It was actually pretty ridiculous. The room was expanded five times, that upper level being the last addition." His eyes dropped to the floor. "I haven't been in here since she died… But," he looked back up into her eyes. "I thought that, if I had you by my side, it wouldn't be so hard." His eyes shifted to the floor again.

Kagome's heart nearly broke. "InuYasha."

His eyes met hers again.

"Thank you, for trusting me enough to share her with me." She turned away before seeing his reaction, too embarrassed herself to show her face. She moved up one more rung, slipping when her skirt somehow managed to wedge itself between her foot and the ladder. She gasped as she began falling backwards, closing her eyes to brace for the impact.

After a moment or two, she realized she had stopped falling and opened her eyes.

"Are you okay?!" She glanced up to see InuYasha looking down at her. She noticed they'd somehow ended up on the ground, her on top of him. She sat up and looked down at him: she was straddling his hips now. He propped himself up on one elbow. "God, you're so clumsy-"

She placed a hand over the side of his face, caressing his cheek with her thumb. She quickly leaned down to him, covering his lips with hers.


	5. Chapter Four: Misunderstandings

Her lips pressed uncertainly against his, her eyes squeezed shut. Maybe it was her lack of experience talking, but even the brush of her lips against his sent a tingle of excitement down her spine.

Kagome pulled back, eager to see his reaction.

“What the _hell_ was that?!” InuYasha’s face was beet red.

‘Oh dear god, he hated it!’ Kagome thought to herself as she scrambled off of his lap. “I’m- I am so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She felt tears pricking her eyes. “Excuse me.” She bowed to him and made for the door.

“Wait a damn minute, where the hell are you going?!” InuYasha hollered after her. She heard his footsteps racing after her and nearly fell over when he suddenly fell from the sky, landing in front of her.

She turned quickly on the spot, covering her face with her hands.

“What the hell, Kagome? You kiss me and run away without explaining why and now you won’t even look at me?” InuYasha said, prying her hands from her face, revealing her tear stained cheeks. “What-?”

“I kissed you because I like you, you idiot!” she yelled at him, jerking her hands from his grasp. He backed up a step looking shocked. “I kissed you because you were being so nice and opening up to me and it made me feel… _things_ for you.”

“But why are you crying?” he asked, face red again.

“Because of how you reacted!” Kagome coughed a sardonic laugh through her sobs. “Clearly you don’t feel the same way.”

InuYasha huffed and she was suddenly pulled into his arms. “God you’re so stupid.”

She tried to pull but his arms tightened around her.

“Of course I like you.”

Kagome felt herself tense up, her face buried in his chest. She could feel his racing pulse, almost matching hers. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Why else would I have shared something so personal with you?” he asked, pulling back to look at her from arm’s length. He was frowning, cheeks still bright red. “I mean, I’m no Miroku, but I thought you would have gotten the hint.”

“Are you implying that I’m slow when it comes to understanding romantic gestures?!” Kagome felt her indignation rising. “Because you have no room to speak!”

InuYasha huffed again, pulling her a bit closer. “That’s not what I’m trying to say, dammit!” His face relaxed slightly when he realized how frightened his outburst had made her. “I was trying to say that I’m not exactly the most open person when it comes to expressing… _affection_.”

Kagome blushed, her heart pounding again. “Oh.”

“Yeah, so, I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I guess I’m not the most observant person when it comes to understanding other people’s feelings either.” His hands slid from shoulders down to her hands.

Kagome stared hard at the floor, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

“Yes, yes; you’re both complete imbeciles when it comes to noticing things. For example, I’ve been standing here for quite some time now and neither of you has noticed me.” They both turned to see Miroku standing in the doorway, wearing a bemused smile. “So congratulations: you’re idiots! But at least you’re idiots together.”

InuYasha growled, glaring daggers at the monk. “Miroku, you know if it weren’t for this damned curse, Sango would be a widow, right?”

Miroku rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes; strong, almighty, purring kitty lord: I quake before thee.” InuYasha’s face fell. “Now come eat dinner before old Kaede’s work goes to waste.” Miroku turned and exited the room. InuYasha and Kagome followed, holding hands, faces bright red.

 

*After dinner, in Kagome’s room*

 

“All right, spill.” Sango flopped down onto Kagome’s bed. “Something clearly happened between you two, judging from the ridiculous red faces you wore at dinner and the awkward glances you shared.”

Kagome pulled the door shut and turned to look at her friend, smiling broadly. “I kissed InuYasha.”

Sango blinked a few times. “Wow, I’m impressed… Two weeks ago I would have had to pry that from you.”

Kagome laughed and joined her friend on the bed. “He took me to his mother’s library and asked if I would share it with him. If I would share _her_ with him. I was so touched and he was being so sweet. I was flustered at first because he was acting so unlike himself and it was the single nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Then I had an attack of the clumsies and he kept me from being injured.

“My heart was pounding like crazy and all I could think of was how much I liked him; plus I had him pinned to the ground anyway, so I just… kissed him.” Her hands came up to cup her cheeks, attempting to hide her blush.”

“And then…?” Sango needled.

Kagome sighed, recalling the ridiculous ensuing drama. “Well, he yelled at me, I ran, he stopped me from running, I blurted out my feelings and accused him of not feeling the same way. Then he hugged me and confessed his feelings for me.” Kagome watched Sango’s eyes widen. “With some insults thrown in, of course, because this is InuYasha we’re talking about here.”

“Of course,” Sango added, rolling her eyes.

“And then your husband appears out of the blue and ruins everything.”

Sango sighed and shook her head.

“Don’t punish him too much, though: InuYasha did threaten to make you a widow.”

Sango laughed, dryly.

“By the way, InuYasha mentioned something about him not being able to do so because of the curse. What did he mean by that?”

Sango chewed her lip, seeming to mull over thoughts in her head. “The curse protects the castle staff from InuYasha: any attempt he makes to physically harm one of us rebounds off of us and ends up injuring InuYasha instead.”

Kagome frowned. “Was he really that bad?”

Sango sighed before answering. “Not exactly. At least not all the time. For the first few months after his mother, the lady Izayoi, passed, he was extremely hostile, refusing to be touched or let anyone touch her belongings. Afterwards there were a lot of flying objects.”

“Wow, I guess he really has changed.”

Sango looked deep into Kagome’s eyes. “Because of _you_.”

 

~Naraku~

 

“Master, I have recovered the information you requested on the half demon named InuYasha.” Kagura appeared before Naraku in a flurry of wind and feathers.

Naraku glowered at his minion. “Well, that certainly took an exorbitant amount of time.”

“My apologies, master.” Kagura made a short bow and righted herself before continuing. “Leads were few and far between: the only information I was able to collect is that he lives in a castle not far from the village border.”

“Interesting,” Naraku mused, running his long, thin fingers along the line of his chin. “Kagura, I need you to discreetly place a surveillance in this castle.”

“Yes, master.”

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome inhaled the smell of the aged leather and pressed velum before peering at a row of books from her position on the ladder.

“Whatcha looking at?”

Kagome jumped, her hands releasing the rung in shock. She felt hands on her back, keeping her from falling backwards onto the marble floors below. She glanced back over her shoulder and was met with golden eyes. “InuYasha!”

“We have got to work on your balance,” InuYasha said, making a tsking noise.”

“Sorry, you just startled me.” Kagome grabbed a random book and climbed down the ladder. InuYasha was scratching the back of his head, blushing faintly. “What’s the matter?”

His eyes finally met hers again. “Would you read to me?”

“If you really want me to.” She clutched the book tightly to her chest, slightly embarrassed at the idea. “I don’t know if I’ll be any good: I’ve never read aloud to someone else before.”

He grasped her hand enthusiastically and dragged her up the stairs to the second level of the library. The second floor was a cozy sitting area with a plush couch facing a fireplace. InuYasha sat Kagome on the couch and busied himself with lighting a fire in the hearth.

He sat down next to her, leaning his head over her shoulder. Kagome tucked her feet beneath her on the cushion, their arms brushing as she shifted her position. Clearing her throat, Kagome opened the book to the first page and began reading nervously aloud.

Kagome found herself growing more relaxed in her reading as she became engrossed in the story, adding voices for each different character. InuYasha’s chin rested on her shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. The further they progressed into the story, the further his head craned over her shoulder, as if he was trying to see the pages more clearly. ‘I wonder…’ Kagome thought to herself, before she closed the book and lay it on her lap.

“Why’d you stop?” InuYasha whined, pulling back to look at her. He was pouting.

Kagome felt her heart beat increase, seeing the adorable pout on this otherwise proper man. “I wanted to ask you something.”

His pout persisted.

“Do you know how to read?” Kagome asked.

His cheeks turned scarlet. “Yes I can read!”

Kagome quirked a brow. “Then why am I reading to a man who is perfectly capable of reading to himself?”

His blush grew even deeper as he mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.

Kagome pursed her lips in frustration. “InuYasha, you have to speak up or I can’t hear what you are saying.”

He turned away from her, hiding his face. “I like the sound of your voice!”

Kagome bit back a laugh and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Really, what am I going to do with you? Was it really so hard to say that?”

He turned suddenly and threw his head onto her lap. “Shut up,” InuYasha grumbled, hands gripping her skirts.

Kagome cleared her throat, glad that he couldn’t see the bright blush she was sure now colored her cheeks. “Should I keep reading?”

He nodded his head against her lap.


	6. Chapter Five: Heat

**Chapter Five**

Kagome and InuYasha promised to meet every day in the library so that Kagome could read to him, having Kaede bring their lunches to them. Three days had already passed and they were coming to the end of the book they’d begun.

“ _The noble lord basked in the light of the full moon, folding his arms elegantly behind his back. He walked with the air of a man well beyond his years and the maiden felt unable to draw her eyes from his form._

_“Her brain battled with her heart; she was well aware that her station was well below someone acceptable to even associate with one such as the esteemed lord, much less harbor feelings for him. Her heart, however, pounded with the beatings of 100 doves-“_

Kagome was interrupted by the sound of soft snores coming from the head resting in her lap. Kagome glanced down at InuYasha’s sleep-softened face, smiling at how sweet he looked in his sleep. Looking up at the window, she realized the sun was setting over the trees that surrounded the grounds of the castle. She set the book down on the cushion beside her and returned to staring at InuYasha’s face.

InuYasha’s face was completely relaxed, lips slightly parted, silver bangs laying over his closed eyes. Kagome bit her lip, before reaching out a tentative hand to sweep his bangs to the side. ‘ _His hair is so soft,’_ Kagome mused as she lightly petted his hair, attempting not to disturb his sleep. She ran her fingers over his eyelashes, traced a line down the profile of his nose, stopping on his lips.

InuYasha flinched, shifting his head slightly on her lap. Kagome withdrew her hand. ‘ _He’s so beautiful… I’m almost jealous.’_ Feeling annoyed, she reached her hand out instead to stroke one of his ears. Recalling her memory of the morning after the wolf incident, she ran the tip of her finger along the base of his ear, grazing lightly against his scalp.

Her hand was suddenly pulled away and his eyes shot open, staring straight into hers. “I could withstand the face-touching, which tickled by the way, but my ears?” He sat up swiftly and, in one smooth motion, pinned her to the couch.

“InuYasha?!” Kagome exclaimed, trying to pull her wrists from his grasp. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“You shouldn’t tease me like that, I’m a man, you know,” InuYasha said slowly, eyes half lidded. “There’s a reason I don’t let anyone touch my ears.”

Kagome blushed at his implication, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Somehow the thought of being able to incite this kind of reaction from him emboldened her. She arched her head up, pressing her lips lightly against his, before laying back down on the couch.

“And then you do that.”

Kagome held her breath in anticipation, her heart pounding even harder. “And what do you intend to do about it? I must admit, I’ve grown tired of being the one to make the first move.”

“Dammit Kagome.” InuYasha’s face reddened, before lowering his head towards hers. Kagome’s eyes fluttered shut, glossing over his lips briefly, before they pressed against hers.

His lips caressed her softly, applying the barest of pressure. She felt his hands release their grip on her wrists and a shifting in the couch cushions as the heat radiating from his body drew closer to hers. Their lips parted briefly before they reconnected, InuYasha’s caresses turning heated and more fervent. Kagome’s hands found their way to the front of InuYasha’s shirt, digging her fingers into it, nails scraping his skin through the supple fabric.

A low growl emitted from his throat, making Kagome shiver. One of his hands cupped the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing slow lines against her cheek. Kagome’s fingers twisted into his shirt when she felt his tongue lap warmly at her bottom lip. Kagome blushed, unsure of how to respond: playing kissing games as a child was nothing compared to the strange heat she felt building in the pit of her stomach and InuYasha was most definitely not a child.

He growled again, nibbling at her lip this time, making her gasp in surprise. InuYasha took advantage of her parted lips, swiping his tongue languidly against hers.

Kagome’s eyes shot open at the sudden sensation of his warm, soft tongue against hers. Reading romance novels was one thing, experiencing it firsthand was another thing entirely. She moved to sit up, pressing her hands against his chest, but moved too quickly and ended up knocking her forehead into his.

Their lips parted, InuYasha muttering a silent curse, massaging his forehead as he sat up on his haunches. Kagome winced, massaging her own forehead.

“Shit, are you okay?” InuYasha asked, pulling her hand from her head to inspect it himself.

Kagome chuckled, feeling her previous anxiety fade away. “I’m fine, I just… don’t know what I’m doing.”

InuYasha sighed, sitting back on the couch completely. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have forced myself on you like that. Now you’re questioning whether you even like me anymore.”

Kagome quickly pushed herself up off the couch, cupping his face in her hands. “ _No_ , that’s not even remotely close to what I was trying to say!” His eyes met hers, confused. “I meant I literally have no idea what I’m doing: I’ve never been this intimate with anyone before.”

His face betrayed his shock. “You’ve never had a lover?”

Kagome glared at him, releasing his face. “What is _that_ supposed to mean?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you insulting my virtue right now?”

His eyes widened and he shook his hands emphatically. “No! I just can’t believe someone as beautiful as you must have been beating suitors away.”

Kagome felt her face heat up. “You think I’m beautiful?”

“ _Of course I do_!” His face turned bright red when he realized what he’d just said. “Anyone with eyes could see how beautiful and special you are.”

Kagome felt her heart tighten at his words. She grabbed his hands, squeezing them slightly. “I don’t care what anyone else thinks. As long as you say I’m beautiful, I believe you.”

His eyes met hers again, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. ‘ _For someone who was kissing me so boldly just a few moments ago, he sure is blushing like a maiden.’_ Kagome shook her thoughts away before scooting closer to him. “I like you. I definitely like kissing you… but perhaps we could slow down a bit. I’m not going anywhere without you.”

He nodded in agreement before pulling her into another slow, sweet kiss.

 

~Naraku~

 

Naraku stood before a large reflecting pool, watching Kagome’s image move across the surface of the water. The brunette servant woman was helping her get ready for bed.

His eyes raked her body with leering eyes as she was undressed, finding himself disappointed when she was all too soon slipped into a thin nightgown. She climbed into bed.

“You will soon be mine, my Kagome,” he said, tracing one finger lightly across the image of her jaw. The water rippled at his touch, distorting the image of Kagome’s sleeping face. His hand hovered over the water’s surface. He whispered a quick spell, watching in glee as a thick purple miasma seeped from is palm into the reflecting pool, clouding the water.

Kagome’s face twitched in her sleep as she twisted beneath her blanket. _Yes, not too much longer now, and you shall be all mine._

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun on her cheeks as she was jolted slightly by the movement of the buggy beneath her. She opened her eyes to see the familiar sight of Buyo pulling their buggy, trotting steadily down the path out of town. Grandfather laughed from beside her.

“Finally woke up, dear girl?”

Kagome grinned at him. “Grandfather! It’s been too long.” She twined her arms around his, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“Hah!” Grandfather laughed, ruffling her hair. “Dear girl, where is your head at?”

Kagome realized – with a tinge of sadness – that she was dreaming. That this was merely a dream. But even dream Grandfather was better than no Grandfather at all. She sighed in contentment and turned her eyes to the bright blue cloudless sky stretching out above them.

In her dream it seemed the rode for hours, talking about familiar topics, sharing laughs.

“What is that?” Kagome asked seeing a faint purple smoke swirling from over the treetops that lined the path. They moved like fingers clawing away the color of the sky. Grandfather looked to where she was pointing and snapped the reins, urging Buyo faster.

“Grandfather?” Kagome grasped the front of the buggy for support as the bounced down the rocky path. Her eyes found the sky again and she found herself gasping when she saw that the purple smoke had completely blotted out the sun. More smoke filtered through the trees, taking on the form of wolves, chasing them.

Kagome felt her heart racing in her chest, sweat beading on her forehead. “InuYasha’s Castle!” Kagome exclaimed, pointing towards the looming structure. “Hurry, we’ll be safe there.”

Grandfather nodded and snapped the reins again.

Kagome’s grip tightened, the closer they drew, occasionally glancing back to see the smoke wolves were gaining on them with each passing moment.

“Kagome, look!”

Kagome’s head snapped back to the front. Her heart leapt, seeing the figure in front of them. “InuYasha!” Grandfather pulled to a stop when they finally reached him. Kagome glanced behind again, warry of the wolves. They were snarling and backing off, smoky hackles raised. The cart dipped forward violently, drawing Kagome’s attention back to the front. InuYasha perched on the front ledge of the cart, head bowed, hiding his face.

Kagome sighed in relief, leaning back against her seat. _I guess he’s my savior in my dreams now, too?_ Kagome suppressed the giggle rising in her throat. “Everything will be fine now, Grandfather: InuYasha’s here to save us—” Her words stopped short when she heard a wet sound and Grandfather gasping. She turned and fought the urge to vomit at the sight before her. InuYasha’s arm was buried elbow deep in the center of grandfather’s chest, his hand sticking out from the other side stained bright red with fresh blood.

“I-InuYasha?” Kagome faltered, rising from her seat. _This is a dream – no, a nightmare. Wake up, Kagome!_ She took unsteady steps off of the buggy, putting distance between herself and the dream InuYasha.

He extracted himself languidly from the dead flesh of her Grandfather, bringing his bloodied hand to his face. He sniffed, then licked his hand. Kagome retched, taking another step back, snapping a twig beneath her heal.

His eyes snapped towards her, glowing red.

 _Wake up!_ Kagome turned, running towards the castle gates. Her vision blurred with unshed tears, the wind whipping her hair into her face. Kagome screamed as her foot caught a root, tumbling onto the ground. She scrambled to her knees, trying to get up as fast as she could.

Kagome screamed once again as she was pushed back down to the ground and rolled over onto her back.

“Where do you think you’re going, _little girl_?” InuYasha purred from above her. Kagome stared, wide-eyed in horror, frozen in place under his blood red gaze. He traced a claw down the length of her neck, biting lightly into her skin. “Don’t you know it’s your turn?” A twisted grin marred his face as she felt his hand wrapped around throat.

Kagome’s eyes widened further, finally getting mobility back in her previously frozen limbs. She choked out strangled noises while desperately clawing at his arms and face. She felt his fingers tighten, swearing she could feel the bones there cracking. _WAKE UP!_

Kagome woke screaming, drenched in sweat from head to toe, blankets thrown to the side in her wild slumber. _That was too vivid… InuYasha – is he okay?_ Kagome climbed out of bed, her feet coming in contact with the cold wood floor, reaffirming that she was indeed awake.

Her throat still ached and she was finding hard to get enough air. Feeling uneasy, she exited her room and made her way down the dimly lit hall towards the West Wing. She felt her breath steadily more ragged with each step, gasping for air when she reached the double doors to InuYasha’s room. _Why can’t I breathe?_

Kagome slapped her hands urgently against the solid wood, lacking the energy to form her hands into fists.

“I-Inu… Yasha,” she managed to croak out, barely a whisper. Her throat constricted, fully cutting off her airway. Her knees came out from underneath her. She dropped to the floor, hands sliding along the face of the door. Her vision began to darken as she desperately gasped for air, colorful blobs dancing in front of her. _InuYasha!_

The door opened just as her eyes were drifting shut.

 


	7. Chapter Six: Promises

**Chapter Six: Promises**

InuYasha lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. His thoughts raced with images, sounds, feelings… _Kagome…_ He rolled onto his side, tucking his hands under his pillow, shutting his eyes tightly against the memories of her body beneath his, her lithe fingers tracing gentle paths along his scalp – _Fuck!_

InuYasha sat up, face in his hands, suddenly feeling too warm and it wasn’t from the fire burning in the fireplace across the room from him. _I’m never going to get any sleep this way… I can’t believe I’m letting myself get so wrapped up over kissing someone._ He stopped himself; Kagome wasn’t just someone, he couldn’t delude himself into believing that any longer. As much as it was completely against everything he believed in, he felt himself opening up to her, in a way he hadn’t even with his mother.

He dropped one hand to his lap as the other dragged over his face. _I need to face the facts: as much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m –_ InuYasha’s thoughts were interrupted by the smell of aged paper and leather, faintly spiced with a hint of lavender. _Kagome…_

InuYasha felt his heart rate increase as her scent grew nearer. Was she really seeking him out in the middle of the night? Awfully bold for someone who was feeling rushed by a little bit of tongue. He crossed his legs, bouncing a knee in anticipation. His ear twitched when he finally heard her footsteps close in on his bedroom door. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the door, waiting for her knock. InuYasha felt his inner demon peeking his head out from the inner corners of his heart. _This is so stupid –get your ass up, drag her in here, and throw her on the bed –_

InuYasha shook his, forcing the voice back in its place, a deep warmth spreading over his face and down into his the pit of his stomach. He took a steadying breath before raking his fingers through his hair. _Shit, I don’t think I can’t_ do _this – she can’t come in here right now, not while I’m –_

_Knock knock knock_

_Okay, clearly she changed her mind, right?... Shit!_ InuYasha rose from the bed and resisted the urge to jump straight to the door, instead walking like the well-behaved prince he was supposed to be. _Act surprised, play it cool: you didn’t know it was her, it could have been anyone knocking on your door in the middle of the night._ He took one more breath and plastered what he was sure was a stupid grin on his face before opening the door.

* * *

 

He should have sensed the situation sooner; felt the fear dripping off her in sickening drops, her distress a tight cloud of tension. His eyes fell to her collapsed form almost immediately: a crumpled mess of white skin, nightgown, and raven hair.

“Kagome?!” He bent down and lifted her shoulders off the ground, shaking her lightly, her head lolling with the movement. _Shit!_ He gathered her limpness onto his lap and listened for any signs of breathing. _You dumbass, of course she’s not breathing, look at her!_ Her lips were turning purple and when he lifted one of her eyelids, the whites of her eyes were bloodshot. _Fuck, she’s choking! What the hell do I do?!_ “Kagome, please, don’t you dare die on me! You promised me, dammit!” His eyes burned as he pushed her shoulders forward and began pounding his fist as lightly as could against her back, fighting mentally between being desperate to fix her and remembering she was only a human and he really did not want to hurt her.

“Kagome!” he shouted when his attempts to save her had no effect. He gripped her face between his hands and opened her mouth, covering it with his own and releasing a deep breath into her. He pulled back and examined her face and, seeing still no changes, let out a strangled noise that was half cry – half howl, before hugging her to him roughly and giving her back a few resounding slaps.

“Hurgh –!” He felt her spasm against him.

“Kagome!” He pulled away just in time to see her eyes shoot open as she retched out a long stream of purple miasma. _What the hell –?_ InuYasha watched the dense purple cloud swirl in the air momentarily before it darted through his door and busted open the balcony doors, disappearing into the night.

The sounds of coughing drew his attention back to Kagome where she sat in his lap. She shivered spasmodically, eyes shut once again. He cupped her cheek in one hand, leaning his forehead against hers, relishing in the fact that she was finally _breathing_. Her eyes fluttered open a fraction, long enough to stare deeply into his own, before shutting again and breathing out a raspy sigh. “Thank the gods –” she managed to say before a coughing fit took her over and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Shh,” he murmured, rubbing a hand in slow circles against her back. _God, she’s freezing!_ “It’s okay, you’re fine. You’re going to be okay, so stop crying.”

She buried her face into his sleep shirt, looping her arms around his neck. He continued to shush her, stroking her hair gently, until she was able to speak in a semi-coherent fashion. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered into the cloth of his shirt. “I was so worried.”

“About me? I’m fine,” he pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. “What happened to you?” He ran a comforting hand up and down her arm, trying to rub the warmth back into her icy flesh. “You’re freezing, come here.” He scooped her into his arms, holding her close to his chest, and carried her into his room, closing the door behind him. He grabbed the duvet off of his bed and sat in front of the fireplace, wrapping them both in the thick warmth of his blanket. They sat there for a while, Kagome clinging to him like her life depended on the contact, InuYasha rubbing the warmth back into her frozen limbs, murmuring soothing words and kissing the top of her head repeatedly, as if assuring himself that she was still there, and listened to sounds of her almost silent sobs.

It took damn near forever but she finally stopped shivering and her skin was starting to give off its own warmth. He pressed his cheek firmly against the top of her hair and squeezed her tighter. “Are you feeling any better?”

Kagome sniffled, finally able to stop crying, and nodded her head against his chest. She wiggled in his lap and tightened her grip on the back of his night shirt.

“Can you tell me what happened now?”

“I had a dream… about my grandfather,” Kagome started, her voice hoarse. “It was a nice dream; happy really. But then this dense purple cloud rolled in and formed a pack of wolves that started chasing us towards the castle. Then you were there and I was so relieved!

“That’s when everything went wrong: you killed Grandfather, pierced your hand right through his chest. Then you turned to me and your eyes were red. I screamed at myself, trying to wake up, to end the nightmare. I ran from you, towards the castle, hoping to find… I don’t know what I was trying to find, but then you were on me, tackling me to the ground, your hands wrapped around my throat –” She shivered in his arms once more.

“It was just a dream,” he said, running a soothing hand over her hair.

She pulled back from him just enough to look him in the eyes, a look of indignation on her face. “But it didn’t _feel_ like just a dream! I felt you choking the life from as I screamed at myself to _wake up_!” Her brown eyes were still bloodshot from her prior lack of air. “And even when I woke, I could still feel the pain… the last thing I remember is making my way to your room to check on you and still feeling like I had something wrapped around my throat.”

InuYasha hesitated a moment before telling her exactly what he had seen come out of her. Her brows were drawn together in thought. After a lengthy silence he finally added: “I think someone tried to put a spell on you –an unsuccessful one –but still a spell.”

Her eyes suddenly shot to his, wide as saucers. “Grandfather! I need to make sure he’s okay!” She made to stand up but her legs shook visibly under the thin fabric of her nightgown and she fell back down into him. “What if whoever put that spell on my tried to go after him too; he’s all alone.” Her eyes met his once more, pleading. “Let me go to him, just for a little while, just to make sure he’s alright.”

“ _No!_ ” InuYasha snapped without thinking.

Kagome’s face twisted in anger. _Shit._ “But he could be in danger –!”

He pulled her into his arms, burying his nose into her hair. “I know, but I can’t let you leave the castle; not after this. You’re in even more danger and I won’t be able to follow you.” He drew in a shuddering breath, remembering the sight of her mostly lifeless face. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something were to happen to you and I couldn’t be there to save you.”

InuYasha felt her arms encircle him, returning his embrace, her head nodding in assent against his chest. He could have cried in relief.

He settled for smiling and wrapping his arms tighter around her. “I’ll send Shippou to collect your grandfather in the morning: he’s the only person in the castle other than you who can leave the premises. And he’s a sneaky little kid when given the chance so I’m not worried about them being in any danger.” He pulled back to look at her. “Okay?”

She nodded, wiping fresh tears from her eyes.

“So don’t go anywhere… you already promised me you wouldn’t go anywhere without me.” _Shit, now I sound like some needy ass kid._ He felt heat spread across his cheeks.

Her small hands cupped his face, drawing his eyes back to her now-smiling face. “I will never leave you, InuYasha.”

_I’m starting to get the feeling that this promise is getting harder and harder for her to keep._ He felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He shook it off and wrapped his arms around her again, settling them comfortably in front of the fire.

 

~Naraku~

 

Naraku glared at the image of his Kagome wrapped in this other man’s arms. His fingers dug into the stone edge of the pool. The man in the image placed a kiss her forehead before picking her up and setting her on the bed.

_“Confound this damnable woman!”_ Naraku roared, fingers cracking the stone. He broke off large chunks and threw them into the water, distorting the image in large, violent ripples, before fading completely. “How can she evade me at every turn? Is she truly so infatuated with this half demon that she couldn’t have just slain him in her dream? Why must she make things so _difficult_?” He pushed his hands through his hair, releasing a deep breath. He had found himself rather _aroused_ when she lay there in front of the man’s door, choking on his unfulfilled spell, and he was having a hard time calming himself down.

_Kagome_ will _be mine, make no mistake about that, half breed._ He narrowed his eyes at the reflecting pool before calling for Kagura.

She appeared before, as always, bowing deeply, and he barely resisted the urge to take out his frustrations on her.

“Master?” she asked after a lengthy period of uncomfortable silence, him leering at the column of her neck with wide pupils.

His eyes snapped to hers. “Bring me the old fool, it’s time we end the ridiculous farce; I’m done playing.” His lips twisted in a sinister smirk. “It’s time I claim what is mine.”


	8. Chapter Seven: In the Wake of Nightmares

**Chapter Seven: In the Wake of Nightmares**

Kagome woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Her hand caressed the spot where InuYasha had lay the night before. The spot was still warm.  _He must have gone to talk to Shippou..._

Kagome sat up, stretching her sore muscles.  _Almost choking to death on a curse has side effects_ , she thought to herself as she massaged her aching throat. She rose from InuYasha's bed, heading back to her own room so she could make herself decent. She made quick work of dressing herself before heading down to the dining room. The door creaked open as she approached it and Kaede stepped forward to greet her with a kind smile. 

"Oh, child, there you are," Kaede said, ushering Kagome through the door and into a chair. "Master's orders; eat up." There was a bowl full of steaming porridge in front of her.

Kagome picked up her spoon and took a mouthfull of the delicious and soothing food. She chewed at it before swallowing, allowing the warmth to seep into her sore throat muscles. She sighed in satisfaction. "Where is InuYasha?"

She watched as Kaede poured tea into an empty teacup. "The master is... attending to some affairs of which the nature he wishes to be kept private."

Kagome nodded, continuing to savor her porridge. She chose not to think of the way Kaede worded that statement. 

After finishing her bowl and cup, she insisted on washing her dishes. Much to Kaede's discontent. She made a slow, steady path towards the library.  _Maybe he'll be there._ Kagome's heart pounded at the prospect of seeing his face. 

She opened the doors with caution, stepping in and peering around the large expanse of the room. Her heart sunk in disappointment. She grabbed a random book off a nearby shelf and plopped onto the couch. 

Kagome sighed and placed the book on the couch after she read the same sentence almost twenty times over. She rubbed at her temples.

"Kagome the book worm, getting a headache from reading? I never thought I'd see the day."

Kagome turned at the sudden voice. "Sango." Her friend wrapped her arms her. 

"I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" Sango pulled back, holding her at arm’s length, brows drawn together in worry. 

"I'm fine, promise." Kagome gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Where's InuYasha?"

Sango frowned. "He's off being an idiot."

"How do you mean?"

Sango let out a breathy sigh. "He's ordered us all to keep his location from you."

 _Is he planning some kind of surprise?_ Kagome felt her face flush at the thought. 

"Kagome, can you not think of anyone who would want to threaten your life like this?"

Sango's voice bulled Kagome out of her thoughts. She shook her head. "No, I can't think of anyone. I don't even know anyone with knowledge of such strong magic." She smiled at her friend. "I promise, I'll be  _fine_."

"How can you make such promises when you don't even know who it is that is attacking you?" The older woman's eyes displayed her fear.

Kagome felt her heart tighten in her chest. "Oh, Sango." She wrapped her arms around Sango's shoulders, patting her back. 

"You're my best friend." She could hear the tears in Sango's voice. "Not to mention InuYasha. He may be a stuborn ass, but we can all see the way he looks at you... Losing you would destroy him."

 

* * *

 

 

Kagome found herself wandering through the castle once again, determined, this time, to find InuYasha. She'd already searched his bedroom and another room which a servant had claimed to be his study along with the entirety of the first floor.  _Where could he possibly be?_  She tiptoed out the grand doorway and descended the stairs that led into the courtyard and gardens. 

The snow was starting to melt in the wake of spring: small yellow flowers peeking through the white blanket. It crunched under her shoes as she made her way through the gardens. She reached the stream where they had eaten together not too long ago. Her finger tips ghosted along the surface of the bench they'd sat on. 

_InuYasha, where are you?_

She left the gardens, making her way towards the stable. When she arrived, the doors were already propped open. Her heart leaped in anticipation. _InuYasha!_

She rounded the corner into the stables. She was greeted by a young man with gentle brown eyes. He turned at the sound of her approach.

"Oh, hello there," he said, smiling a kind smile at her. "You must be Lady Kagome. I've heard you were beautiful, but the rumors truly do you no justice." He returned to brushing Buuyo. 

Kagome drew herself up next to the young man, brushing a soothing hand over Buuyo's muzzle. "Well, I must admit I feel I'm at a disadvantage: you know my name and I don't know yours." She offered a friendly smile. 

A faint red blush dusted his freckled face. "Oh, my apologies, my lady." He bowed to her quickly. "My name is Hojo. I'm in charge of the stables now." He rose, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, only to jump in surprise when he realized he was brushing his own neck with the coarse bristles of the horse brush.

Kagome laughed, hiding her mouth behind a gloved hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Hojo." She held out a hand to him, remembering the traditional western greeting.

His entire face lit up before taking her outstretched hand in both of his and bringing it up to his face. He placed a light kiss on her gloved knuckles. Kagome felt her own cheeks heat up.  _He's such a gentleman... unlike a certain lord I know who doesn't tell me where he's going-_

"What do you think you're doing?"

Kagome turned at the voice, recognizing it in an instant. "InuYasha! I've been looking for you everywhere-." Her smile faded when she took in his expression: he looked beyond angry.

Kagome felt Hojo almost fling her hand out of his grasp. "I-I'll just-" he stumbled over his feet as he set the brush down on the stool next to Buuyo. "Be going.... Bye!" He bolted out of the stables.

Kagome watched his retreating form, confused, before turning back to InuYasha. "I asked you a question."

 _What did I do_ this _time?_ "I  _was_  having a conversation, but you've ruined that." Kagome guided Buuyo back into his stall and closed the gate. When she turned around InuYasha was right in front of her, glaring down at her. "InuYasha?"

There was a dangerous glint in his golden eyes that half scared her and half ignited a pleasant warmth in her stomach. She shuffled backwards, trying to distance herself from his intensity. He matched her movements until her back hit the side wall of the stables. He leaned his hands against the wall, one on either side of her head, trapping her. She took a moment to appreciate just how much  _taller_  he was than her, her eyes in line with his collar. She pictured herself undoing the button there and kissing his neck. She shook her head and refocused her attention to his eyes, looking up at him through her lashes.

Something in him seemed to snap as his lips descended upon hers in a bruising kiss. A gasp rose in her throat and her back arched off the wall, her eyes shutting tight. His lips were cold from the chilly weather and roughly chapped. She tilted her head back, welcoming his ministrations. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, its hot temperature in stark contrast to his lips. This time she was prepared, parting her lips. He growled in approval, dipping his tongue into her mouth and running its velvety smooth surface over hers. She gave a small moan, the warmth in her belly growing hotter. Her heart fluttered, her arms coming up to grab the front of his shirt. He growled again, low in his throat and gripped her wrists, pinning them to the wall above her head. Kagome winced at the force with which he held her there. 

She pulled away, a loud and embarrassing sucking noise emitting from their mouths. She rested her head back against the wall. "InuYasha?" she managed to say between gasps for air. He narrowed his eyes before taking another step and sandwiching her body against the wall. He wasted no time in covering her mouth with his in hot open-mouthed kisses. Kagome strained onto her tiptoes, groaning at the friction she created. She fought to keep up with his rhythm. His hands shifted over her wrists, locking them both in one. The other freed itself to drag down her forearm in a gentle caress. 

Kagome sighed into his mouth.

His fingers traveled lower, making a slow path from her elbow down to the junction of her shoulder. Kagome's heart beat faster. She willed his hand to keep moving. To continue the sweet torture he was putting her over-sensetized skin through. She found it amazing that he could affect her skin so even through the thick fabric of her dress. His fingers finally brushed past her shoulder and onto her ribcage. They ghosted dangerously close to her breast, before passing down to her waist. She groaned in disappointment, pressing her chest into his. 

_Gods, the friction._

She panted in between kisses. "Inu-InuYasha-" Her stomach burned, a full force fire. His hand trailed back up her side, his thumb brushing against the tight swell of her breast. Kagome couldn't hold back the moan that had built up in the back of her throat. She was too aroused to even feel embarrassed anymore.  _Just touch me more._

InuYasha was the one to pull away this time, trailing his tongue down the length of her throat. He stopped at the crook of her neck, sucking lightly. She tilted her head to the side, giving him more access. He nibbled on the skin there. She whined, flexing her arms against his hold. He released her wrists, purring into her skin. She tangled one hand in his hair, the other draping over his shoulder, nails digging into his back. He kissed back up her neck, licking her bottom lip before nipping it. Kagome's knees wobbled beneath her, forcing her back onto flat feet. She heard him groan long and low. That was when she noticed the hot, hard bulge pressing into her abdomen. 

They both parted, resting foreheads against each other. Panting. Kagome's eyes fluttered open. Her lips felt swollen and the fire in her stomach raged.  _Why is he still glaring at me?_

She took in a deep gulp of air. "InuYasha, why are you looking at me like that?" The hand she had in his hair came down to stroke his cheek.

"Because you're mine and you let someone else put their hands on you."

Kagome recoiled. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"You let that stable boy touch you." 

Kagome scoffed. "InuYasha, I was being cordial. I believe you must at least  _recall_  what manners are." She smiled at him. 

_He's still glaring._

"This is all beside the point, really. If you hadn't run off to wherever you ran off to, I wouldn't have had to come here in the first place. I've only been looking for you all day, you know."

"Like I need to report my every move to you."

Kagome's eyes widened. "What is  _wrong_ with you? I was legitimately expressing my concern for you after I almost  _died_  last night. Gods forbid I be worried that something happened to you."

InuYasha gave a loud  _feh_  and stepped away from her, arms dropping to his side. "Like I need some human wench to worry about my safety when she can't even escape some dumb curse."

Kagome felt tears pricking her eyes. 

"Well, not without my help of course."

Kagome didn't realize what was happening until after her hand connected with his cheek. "Why did I have to fall in love with a jerk like you?"

His eyes widened at her words. "Kagome-"

"You're such an IDIOT!" she yelled, shoving past him, wiping tears from her cheeks.

 

~InuYasha~

 

InuYasha clutched his burning cheek as he watched her disappear up the steps and into the castle. When the giant doors closed behind her, he turned and punched the wall.  _Shit._  He pulled his hand through the whole his fist had created. He turned on the spot and flopped back against the wall, sliding down to sit amongst the hay. He held his head in his hands as he bit back tears and curses. 

This was literally going to kill him, but he felt he had no other choice. 

_I don't deserve your love..._

 


	9. Chapter Eight: Together Again

**Chapter Eight: Together Again**

Sango paced in front of the grand staircase, chewing her fingernails. Kagome had been outside for a while now and she was afraid her friend might catch cold in her futile search for their idiotic master. She was just beginning to consider going out to find her when one of the doors were flung open. 

Sango jumped at the sudden noise and was surprised to Kagome there. "Kagome!" she called, waving a hand at her before jogging to meet her. Her heart sighed with relief.

Her heart knew only a moment’s relief. 

Kagome's cheeks were ruddy with tears, her face scrunched up in pain. The harsh, chilly wind whipped her hair and skirts in the open doorway. Sango shivered and closed the door before returning to her friend’s side. "Kagome, what happened?" she asked, rubbing soothing hands up the frigid arms of her friend. Kagome frowned, sniffling. 

Kagome coughed several times, chocking on sobs. She shook her head in protest.

 _Fantastic, what has our fearless leader gone and done this time?_  Sango shook her head. "What did he do?"

Kagome shook her head yet again, refusing to answer.

 _Dammit InuYasha, what did you do that was so bad she won't even talk to me about it?_ She wrapped one arm around her shoulders and began leading her up the stairs to the kitchens. "Do you want some tea?"

It was a few moments before Kagome gave a hesitant nod in response. 

Sango felt her insides ragging.

Maybe it was her maternal instincts going into overdrive. Maybe Kagome was just that important to her... Maybe she was just  _that_  pissed off at InuYasha for making her friend cry  _again_.

Granny Kaede was humming to herself when Sango pushed open the kitchen door. 

"Granny?" she called out to the old lady's back. She was standing at a counter chopping something. Granny set down the cleaver she was using and turned to look at her, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Ah, Sango and Kagome, what brings ye both-?" Granny's kindly smile faded as her eye passed over the mess of Kagome in Sango's arms. "Sweet child, whatever has befallen ye?" She rushed over as much as her wizened legs would allow.

Kagome just shook her head again. Sango sighed in frustration. "Help me get her in front of the fire, she's chilled to the bone."

Granny took Sango's place soothing the crying woman while Sango dragged a wooden stool across the room. Granny led Kagome over, sitting her on the stool while Sango went to fetch another. Granny shuffled to the stove, setting the kettle on the burner. 

Sango set the stool down next to Kagome's and sat on it. "Kagome, you need to talk to me."

She was answered with a series of sniffles. Granny draped a thick blanket over the shivering woman's shoulders. Sango scooted closer, grabbing Kagome's hands in her own. "Kagome, I need to know if you're okay. Can you at least tell me that?" 

Kagome stared at her, eyes blood shot and puffy from crying. She nodded. "I-I'm fine."

Granny interrupted them, handing Kagome a steaming cup of tea. She accepted it with as much of a smile as she could manage. Sango searched her face, wanting to find some clue as to what had upset her so much. Kagome took a gentle sip from the cup, sniffling some more.

"If you're fine," Sango asked, looking Kagome straight in the eyes. "Why are you crying?"

 A few more tears slipped down Kagome's cheeks before she answered. "I just-" she took in a steadying breath. "I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?"

Sango watches her friend, heart squeezing in her chest. "Fine." She stands and braces her fists on her hips. "But you have to promise to tell me all about it later." She smiles at the teary eyed woman. 

Kagome nodded again before Sango decided it was okay to leave the room.  _I'm going to find out what happened._

Sango spent the next hour prowling the castle in search of InuYasha. The more she searched, the more her anger grew.  _InuYasha, where are you?_

"Sango, my love!" Miroku called out to her as she passed their room. Sango squared her shoulders and continued her search. "Love what's the matter?"

His hand was on her arm. She shook him off, turning to look at him. Her insides felt like they were boiling. “I’m going to teach that little brat a lesson.” She cracked her knuckles. “He can’t keep doing this to her, she doesn't deserve the way he’s treating her.”

His brow quirked in confusion. “Wait, is this about InuYasha?” She nodded. “What the hell did he do this time?”

Sango felt hot, angry tears pricking her eyes. “That’s the thing; I don’t even  _know_. Kagome wouldn't tell me anything.” Sango snapped back around and made her way to the main staircase. “But you can be damn sure I’m going to find out one way or another.” 

They finally found their silver haired master huddled in the stables. Sango's blood boiled hotter than ever. She stomped over to him.

“Sango, wait-!”

Sango wrenched him up by the front of his shirt and her fist connected with his cheek. His head stayed down, fringe covering his face. She shook him, not satisfied with his reaction. _What is with these two?_ Her eyes finally took in the dried tears on his cheeks and the look of unbridled pain on his face.

“What did you do?”

He averted his eyes, looking instead at the hay on the floor.

“ _What did you do, you idiot?!”_  Her voice was shrill, now.

His lips moved, speaking too low for her to hear.

“What-?”

His eyes snapped to hers. "Why don't you mind your own damned business,  _demon slayer?_ " His words were tinged with malice but she could see the waver in his eyes. 

"InuYasha, I'm your friend. No matter how much you try to deny it or shove me away," Sango said, balling her fist tighter into his shirt. "So, please, listen to me when I say: you can't push Kagome away like you do Miroku and I."

His eyes narrowed at her.

"Don't give me that look, you know I'm right. Miroku and I know you too well. Kagome doesn't. She's still learning how to read you, how to trust you. She needs you just as much as you need her."

He snarled at her before knocking her hands away. "When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it." He turned and stalked out of the stables.

Sango turned to follow him. "Sango, wait." Miroku grabbed her by the arm, turning her on the spot. 

She glared at him. "He needs another punch."

"I'm sure he does." He sighed. "But you need to face the fact that no matter how much you punch him, it's not going to make any difference. He needs to come to his answers on his own."

Sango glared at him for a moment, but finally surrendered. "You're right." She rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes and taking a deep calming breath. "Doesn't make me want to punch him any less."

Miroku laughed. "Oh, my dear wife. I do love when you talk rough to me." Sango opened her eyes to see his brow waggle. 

"Miroku, you're such a lech." She felt his hand travel down the small of her back. "But you're  _my_ lech." His hand found its destination: her rear end. She gave his cheek a light slap before kissing him fully on the lips.

"My, my, now who's the lech?"

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome watched the setting sun through the large window in the kitchen. Her tea had long since gone cold and the fire was beginning to fizzle out. Her eyes had dried up but her heart still ached.  _How could he be so loving one moment, then abrasive and completely closed off the next?_

She let out a gusty sigh and rose from her seat. She took her cup to the basin and washed it with a rag. She set it in the cupboard, closing the glass faced door with a gentle hand. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and left the kitchen.

She shuffled down the hall, not sure of where she was heading. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the figure coming up to the main staircase until after she crashed into it. She was knocked off balance for a moment before she was steadied by a hand.

She glanced up to be met with a pair of golden eyes. "InuYasha."

His eyes narrowed before he released her. "Watch where you're going, human." He turned away.

Kagome felt anger bubbling up in her throat. "Is that all you have to say to me?" InuYasha stopped in his tracks. "No more false insults to throw at me?"

His head snapped back at her. "What are you talkin' about?"

"I'm not an idiot, InuYasha. Just because I've never been in a relationship before doesn't mean I can't tell when I'm being pushed away." She drew her blanket tighter around her. As if trying to shield her heart from the possible pain his words might inflict. Her eyes were cast down at the floorboards. "I may not know why you're doing this and I certainly don't know what you're going through... I just want you to know that when you've figured out what you want, I'll be here: waiting for you.

"Because I love you." Her mouth twitched into a smile as she looked back up at him. 

_He's staring at me like I'm the craziest person in the world._

"How can you put so much  _faith_  in other people?" he asked, moving to stand just in front of her. He towered over her, sneering. "It makes me sick."

She smiled at him again, despite the sting from his words. "I don't put my faith in just anyone. I trust you. Even if you don't trust yourself." She placed a hand on his chest, just over his heart. "I'm sorry that I slapped you, I should never have done that... But I couldn't listen to you lie to me anymore."

"As if you could hurt me," he sighed, averting his gaze.

"Maybe not in a physical sense. I could have hurt our relationship though, and I couldn't bear the thought of that." 

He pushed her hand off of him. "We don't have a  _relationship_. You were a great distraction to waste time on, though." He smirked at her, folding his arms over his chest.

"You don't mean that." 

Their eyes met again and Kagome saw the waver once more.  _Why is he doing this?_ She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by the front doors swinging open.

"Kagome, I found Gramps, just like InuYasha asked me to!" 

Kagome turned to see Shippou leading a hunched Grandfather through the doors. 

"Kagome, my dear!" Grandfather greeted her with his cheesy grin. "How've you been, my dear?"

Kagome felt tears of relief welling up, threatening to spill out. She beamed at him and ran down the stairs. "Grandfather, you're okay!" He met her at the bottom, drawing her into a tight hug. Kagome wrapped her arms around Grandfather.

"Dear girl, why would I not be okay?" Grandfather asked, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "Don't you know this old man can take perfectly good care of himself?" He laughed, tossing his head back, then winced, grabbing at his back.

Kagome laughed, rubbing the tears from her eyes.  _He's fine. Just the same as always, my crazy old Grandfather._ She smiled and threw her arms around him again. "Of course, what was I thinking? My Grandfather is a genius spiritual magic user, who can take on anything that may come. Do forgive me. "

Grandfather chuckled, pulling away again. "All right, that's about enough of that. You're beginning to make an old man wonder."

Kagome pulled away, hesitant to release him now that she'd seen he was okay. "I'm just so glad to see you, that's all. It feels like I haven't seen you in forever... Is that a new wrinkle?"

Grandfather bawked. "What?! Where?" His bony fingers came to his face, pushing around at the wrinkled skin, molding it like clay. 

Kagome bit back a giggle and struggled to keep a straight face. 

Shippou jumped up on her shoulder, studying his face with focused determination. "Where is it, Kagome?"

She waved a finger in a circular motion in front of his face. "It's riiiiiight  _there!_ " Kagome reached out and tickled Grandfather right in his sensitive spot. 

"Oh-ah ha ha!" Grandfather collapsed to the ground in laughter. Kagome followed him down, Shippou joining in on the tickle assault. 

Kagome felt a lightness in her heart that she hadn't felt in a long time. She glanced back at the stairs to see that InuYasha was watching the scene with a small smile on his face.  _I feel like everything is finally falling into place. I don't think I've ever felt this... happy before. A girl could get used to this._

 

_~A few hours later, in Grandfather's room~_

 

Kagome had escorted Grandfather to a room on the same wing of the castle as hers. She'd tucked him in and lit the small glass lamp beside his bed. She'd kissed him on the forehead before closing the door behind her. 

Grandfather sighed, relaxing into the downy softness of the mattress and pillow. His bones were weary from the journey, having had to walk the entire way with an over exuberant fox child. But it was a small price to pay to finally be back with his Kagome. He couldn’t be any happier.

He fell asleep with a relaxed smile on his face. 


	10. Chapter Nine: Dreams Come True

**Chapter Nine: Dreams Come True**

 

InuYasha lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling an odd sense of deja vu. He rolled onto his side, tucking his hands under his hands under his pillow. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shake the feeling. It wouldn't go away.

His thoughts shift to Kagome and he sits up, sighing, covering his face in his hands. Well, fuck. He dropped one hand to his lap as the other dragged over his face.

A familiar scent tickled his nose.  _Kagome_? He fought the urge to feel excited at her unsolicited visit, especially after all that he had put her through. The beat of his heart increased while he cursed himself for a fool. His ears perked when her footsteps came into focus. They seemed to echo more than he remembered they should. He shrugged it off.

InuYasha hopped lithely off the bed and moved towards the door.  _She's right outside the door now._  His heart was hammering in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to throw the door open and drag her into his arms. To whisper apologies into her skin as he covered her with kisses.

But he had to be sure.

To be sure that that was what she wanted.

That she could trust him.

_Knock, knock_

He took a steadying breath before he pulled open the door.

Kagome collapsed into his arms, gasping for air, and blue faced.

"Kagome?!" His knees hit the ground, cradling her body in his arms protectively.

Her hands reached for the front of his night shirt, balling the material in her tiny fists. Her lips moved but he couldn't make out what she was saying.

He tried to sit her up. Tried to hit her on the back. Tried to help her breathe. But she was all dead weight and death grip on him.

"It's -all y-your fault-"

InuYasha watched, dumbfounded as her once fair white skin stained dark purple. "What are you talking about?"

Her blood shot eyes rolled into the back of her eyes, her body convulsing. InuYasha could only watch in horror, unable to even lift her off the ground. His vision blurred around the edges and he realized he was crying.

She stilled suddenly, body tensing into a stiff arch, then fell limp, hands dropping away from him.

"Kagome..." He reached out a hand to cup the back of her neck and felt his fingers slip through what he thought felt like sand. His eyes widened as her body dissolved in his hands, turning to ash and smoke.

"-Yasha."

He huddled over the pile of ashes in his lap and on the floor, cupping them with quivering hands.

_It's all my fault... Kagome's dead and it's all my fault._

"InuYasha, wake up!"

InuYasha's eyes opened, still wet with tears. Miroku was standing over him, eyebrows drawn in concern.

InuYasha sat up, eyes darting around the room.  _No ashes on the floor_? He sagged with relief, running his hands through his sweat soaked hair. "It was just a dream."

InuYasha felt the bed shift beside him and turned to see Miroku glaring at him.

"You  _need_ to talk to her."

InuYasha glared back at him. "Weren't you there when I told your busybody wife that I would ask for your opinion when I wanted it?" It was a struggle to keep up the glare while simultaneously fighting the urge to run and check on Kagome.

To make sure she was okay.

To make sure she was alive.

He knew in the back of his mind that she was. That he'd been having this recurring nightmare since the incident. But it didn't stop the ache or the worry.

Miroku crossed his arms over his chest and glared harder. "You're being a petulant child. Kagome is miserable. You're guilt is literally eating you up from the inside. It's been two weeks already. If you keep this up-"

InuYasha sighed and flung the covers off. His whole body was covered in sweat. His head ached. The room felt too warm. He glanced at the fireplace to see the blaze had long since been extinguished. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and stood up, watching as his room twisted and shifted before his eyes. His knees buckled and he found himself sitting on the bed again.

"InuYasha!" A cool hand was on his forehead in an instant. It withdrew almost as quickly. "You're burning up."

InuYasha gave a defiant feh before standing back up and this time his vision went black.

 

~Kagome~

 

Kagome sat at the dinning room table, enjoying a lively breakfast with Shippou and Grandfather. Shippou performed one of his fox magic techniques, the one with the spinning top, and Kaede looked on in horror as it spun on the table, running over plates of food and crashing into glasses. Shippou ran after it, trying to stop it, but only succeeding in making an even bigger mess.

Kagome laughed before plucking the red headed child from the table and nuzzling her cheek against his. His little arms wrapped around neck, hugging her tightly, letting out an adorable giggle.

"Lady Kaede, where did you move the medicinal herbs?" Miroku asked, bursting into the dinning room.

"Miroku what's the matter?" Kagome asked, rising from her chair to follow Miroku and Kaede into the kitchen, her arms tightening around Shippou's small body.

"It's Master InuYasha, he has a high fever," Miroku said, throwing open the doors to the medicine cabinet. He eyes the herbs, picking one up and shaking his head setting it back down.

"Are there any other symptoms? Chills? Head pain? Vomiting?" Kagome set Shippou down and gently pushed the monk to the side. She took in all the herbs in the cabinet.

"Just a headache and nightmares. Unless being a petulant child counts as a symptom."

Kagome smiled at Miroku's attempt at a joke before plucking several herbs from the cabinet.

"No, I believe that is just InuYasha. Could you set the kettle to boil?" She grabbed a mortar and pestle and made quick work of grinding the herbs. Once the water came to a boil, she poured it over the herbs in a make shift sieve made from a napkin set over a cup.

"I'll take this up to him."

* * *

 

Kagome stood outside the door, knuckles hovering a short distance from the wood.  _Alright, Kagome, you can do this_. She sucked in a deep breath before letting her knuckles connect with the door. "InuYasha, it's Kagome. Can I come in?"

She waited a few moments, listening closely for a response but none came. Steeling herself, she pushed open the door and entered InuYasha's bedroom.  _It feels as if I haven't seen this room in forever._ She closed the door behind her as softly as she could manage with one hand. Her eyes wandered around the room, trying to commit it all to memory.

The walls were covered in a deep red wallpaper, with a darker red filigree. The floors were the same dark wood from throughout the rest of the castle. The fireplace was the same dark wood as the floors, the mantle sprawling its delicate carvings to the ceiling. In the hearth roared a blazing fire, crackling and popping as it burned away the last of the kindling. The couches surrounding the fireplace were bathed in the soft glow of the fire. The fabric was a light beige with the same filigree pattern as the walls. Across the room the curtains were drawn over the balcony doors. Her eyes finally landed on the bed...  _InuYasha..._  

Her heart ached in her chest. InuYasha lay in the bed, glistening in the firelight. Kagome tiptoed to the bed and sat on the edge next him. His brows were drawn tightly together, mouth set in a tight grimace. 

"InuYasha take this, it will help with your fever," Kagome said, tucking her free hand under his neck. He groaned, lifting his head at her urging and sipped from the cup. Once he was finished, she lowered his head back onto the pillow.  _He's sweating too much._  Her brows knit together in worry. She set the cup on the nightstand beside the bed and reached over to feel his forehead. "You're burning up."

"Don't tell Kagome..." he mumbled, grabbing her wrist. "She'll just worry like an idiot."

 _He's so out of it._ "Why would that be such a bad thing? It just shows how much she cares."

He took in a deep breath. "Because it's all my fault and I don't want her getting involved."

Kagome felt at a loss for words.  _His fault? What could possibly be his fault?_ Finally finding her voice, Kagome voiced her question. "What is your fault?"

InuYasha drew an arm over his face, covering his eyes. " _Everything..._ "

"That's not an answer."

He released his grip on her wrist and drew his other arm up to his face. "But it's true everything is my fault... She was almost killed because of me."

"How is that your fault?"

"It's not like she was being attacked  _before_  she came here. I'm the only change in her life."

"InuYasha, no. You can't think like that. She doesn't think it was your fault does she?" Kagome could feel tears starting to sting her eyes. "Do you think she would still be here if she did?" She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. 

He lay there silent.

"Believe me, this was  _not_ your fault. I mean, could you imagine what would have happened to her if you hadn't saved her?"

"Would she have even needed saving if I weren't here? Even her grandfather isn't safe from me... Hell, both of them were attacked on my own front lawn. If that's not proof enough, I don't know what is." He rolled over onto his side, facing away from her. 

 _I had no idea he was holding himself accountable for all of this. No wonder he was trying to push me away: he thought he was keeping me safe. What an idiot._ She lay down next to him, pressing her forehead into the space between his shoulder blades, and wrapping her arms around his middle. "InuYasha, I could never blame you.  _None_ of this is  _your_ fault."

He chuckled deep in his chest. "I must be dreaming one sick, twisted fantasy right now. But at least its better than the nightmares."

"Nightmares?" She tightened her grip around him. "What nightmares?"

"The one's where that night happens again." His hand grips her arm. "Except you always die. Every time. And you always say the same thing... That its my fault you're dying. And you're right. It is my fault. Every damn night, it's my fault, over and over again."

Kagome felt bile rising in the back of her throat. "How long have you been having these nightmares?"

"Since that night... No, that same night."He drew in a shaky breath and ran his hand up and down her arm. "I've been watching you die every night, sometimes more than once, since the moment I saved you. I'm starting to wonder which is reality and which is the dream."

Kagome could tell that in his feverish state, there was no reasoning with him. To be honest, it was probably going to be just as hard if not  _harder_  to convince him once he was better. She nuzzled her cheek against his back. "Go to sleep. Rest will help."

His breathing evened out after a while and he fell asleep, Kagome following soon after.

* * *

 

Sango and Miroku sat in the sitting room watching Shippou chase Grandfather around. Kaede laughed watching the two. 

"Do you think Kagome and InuYasha are going to be okay?" Sango asked, resting her head against her husbands shoulder. Shippou jumped in their laps all of a sudden.

"What's wrong with Kagome and InuYasha?" he asked staring up at them both with wide eyes. 

Miroku smiled down at him. "I'll tell  _you_  when you're older." Shippou pouted. "I do have a feeling that they are going to be  _just_  fine."

Grandfather stood in front of them panting, with his hands on his knees. "Whew, they better be! Can't go losing my beautiful grandson-in-law before he even marries my dear Kagome." He let a throaty chuckle. 

Miroku smiled at the old man. "Now that's the kind of thinking I like to hear."

* * *

 

Kagome's eyes opened, blinking to adjust to the dim lighting in the room. 

"Am I still dreaming?"

Kagome felt fingers gingerly tracing lines on her face and over her hair. 

"I must be, right? You can't really be here."

Kagome blinked a few more times, still trying to get her eyes adjusted. She could just barely make out the outline of InuYasha's head in the darkness. She reached out a hand, pressing the back of it against his forehead.  _His fever is almost completely gone_. She sighed in relief and cupped his hands on her cheeks. 

"You are very much awake and very much in trouble," she said, wrapping her arms around his middle. "Don't you  _ever_ scare me like that again. We made a promise, remember? I don't know about you but I make a habit of keeping my promises."

InuYasha let out a gusty sigh that ruffled the hair on the top of her head. He wrapped his arms around her, one hand cradling the back of her head. "I just wanted to protect you, but all I did was make you hurt even worse." He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

Kagome scooted closer to his body heat. "Hmmm, I think I could find it in my heart to forgive you this once... But you have to learn to talk to me. I'm a big girl. I should be included in making decisions that pertain to my life."

"You're right, I promise."

"You also need to realize that the curse that was place on me was  _not_ your fault."

InuYasha opened his mouth to speak.

"It's not up for negotiation." 

"Whatever you say." InuYasha pulled back to look into her eyes. 

Kagome craned her neck up to place a kiss on his lips.

* * *

 

Kagome sat on a stool in front of the vanity in her room, watching Sango’s reflection in the mirror. Sango was humming a happy tune, smiling softly while she brushed Kagome’s hair and began twisting it into an intricate design. Kagome shifted uncomfortably on the stool, still not used to having people do things for her. Especially not someone she considered her friend.

“Why are you doing all this?” Kagome asked wincing as Sango started pushing pins into her hair. Sango herself was dressed in a rather large ball gown with her hair done up.

“We’ve been over this already, Kagome,” Sango met her eyes in the mirror. “It’s a secret.”

Kagome chewed her lip.

“There!” Sango said, jamming one last pin into her hair. “All done.”

Kagome sighed.

“Now it’s time to get dressed!”

Kagome’s eyes widened as she was pulled off the stool and stripped of her robe, leaving her in her underclothes. She grabbed onto the bed post when Sango looped the corset around her middle and began tightening the ties. Kagome winced. “Isn’t this a bit tighter than usual?”

“The tighter the better today,” Sango grunted out as tugged the strings tighter all the way up her back. She tied of the corset and pulled a dress out of the wardrobe. Kagome didn’t even have a chance to see the dress before Sango flung it over her head.

“Sango!” Kagome squealed, worming her arms into the sleeves and sticking her head through the neck hole.  She attempted to turn and look at herself in the mirror and was whacked lightly on the arm by Sango. Kagome sighed and held onto the bed post again while Sango laced up the dress. Glancing down at the skirt, Kagome was at least able to see the color of the garment: bright sunshine yellow. The color made her smile.  _It reminds me of the flowers that grew in the summer outside of my house as a child._

Kagome had fond memories of playing with her little brother Souta, picking bouquets of yellow flowers and taking them back to Mamma. Picnics in the field of yellow flowers, Souta climbing on Papa’s back and Kagome laying down with Mamma pick out shapes in the clouds.

Grandfather buried them under that field of flowers when he came to take her away.

It made Kagome happy to know that they were kept company by the flowers.

“Kagome?”

Kagome turned to Sango. She had a worried look on her face. “Are you okay? I called your name a few times and you weren’t responding.”

Kagome smiled at her friend, once again reveling in the feeling of having someone close who worries. Someone other than family. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about my family.” Sango ushered her to stand in front of the mirror. “You’ve never told me about them, other than the fact that they were killed by a group of bandits.”

Kagome took a moment to look over her reflection. The dress was magnificent: shining yellow satin with pickups in the skirt which she just realized were set with fabric flowers that looked similar to the flowers from her memory. The neckline was draped gauzy material of the same color, forming a thin band around her shoulders and dipping down into a peak just above her breasts where another fabric flower was fastened.

“My Mama was the nicest person; she was a teacher of sorts: she taught all of the villagers how to read and write. Every night, before the children in the village would go to bed, they would all come to our house and crowd around Mamma while she read bedtime stories.

“Papa was strong and smart. He had just become the village leader before… He was always smiling. Always going out of his way to help anyone, whether they wanted help or not. He loved Mamma so much. I never really noticed it as a child, but looking back on my memories as an adult, they were so much in love.

“My little brother, Souta, was the cutest little baby and the most annoying toddler. He would follow me around, copying everything I did and if I told him to go away, he would run crying to Mamma and Papa saying I hurt him somehow. He was so little.

“I don’t actually remember much from the night they died,” Kagome said, sighing. “Maybe it’s better that way. I try not to think about it too much. When I do, my head starts to hurt.”

Sango put a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe it  _is_ better that don’t remember.”

“I do wonder sometimes whether they would be proud of the way I grew up; of the woman that I've become.”

Sango wrapped her arms around her. “You are a wonderful woman. You’re beautiful inside and out. You've completely changed InuYasha and only a miracle worker could do that.”

Kagome smiled, hugging her friend back. “So you’re still not going to tell me what we’re all dressed up for?”

* * *

 

Sango lead Kagome through the castle to a wing she hadn’t explored yet. They reached the end of the hall where a set of double doors stood. Kagome raised a brow at her friend, still unsure of what was going on. Sango winked at her before pushing the doors open.

“Surprise!” a chorus of voices called out as the doors swung open.

Kagome had never seen one room filled with so many people before. And these were all people she knew from living in the castle: Miroku, Shippou, Kaede, Totosai the swordsmith, Hojo… InuYasha stood at the base of the large staircase that leads down into the massive ballroom, one hand tucked behind his back, the other extended, waiting for her.

Kagome began her descent down the staircase, smiling from ear to ear. InuYasha’s eyes were stuck on her. Staring at her. She almost thought it looked like the way her Papa used to look at her Mamma.

That set her heart racing. 

 


	11. Chapter Ten: Tale as Old as Time

**Chapter Ten: Tale as Old as Time**

Kagome reached the final stair and took InuYasha's offered arm, smiling so hard she felt like her face might split in half. "What is all this for?" She whispered under her breath, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow. She smiled at the happy faces surrounding her.

"This is a thank you party," InuYasha said, leading her towards the center of the ballroom. "A thank you from everyone here in the castle. You have been so wonderful to everyone and they all wanted to thank you. Especially me. You helped me get back to the person I was always meant to be. Words will never be able to express how thankful we are for your help."

They were stopped every few steps by random members of the castle staff. Some shook her hand while others enveloped her in hugs. 

"Dear girl, thank you for bringing a smile back to our Lord's face. It has been too long." Lady Kaede said clasping Kagome's hand in her own. "Far too long."

Kagome felt her heart swell in her chest and wrapped her arms around Kaede's shoulders. "You all are really being far to kind. It's not like I intentionally came to the castle for the soul purpose of breaking the curse. I just kind of...  _ended up here._ "

Kaede smiled and cupped Kagome's cheek  with one hand. "I know, child. I doubt any other person but you could have melted InuYasha's frigid heart."

InuYasha gave a sharp feh and scratched at the side of his head. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" 

Kagome and Kaede shared a look before laughing. She slipped her arm back into InuYasha's. "No, I suppose it doesn't. I would choose you again though. If we had to do it all over again, I would still take Grandfather's place. And not just because he's my Grandfather... Because I saw something in you that needed me. Something I think I knew deep down I needed too."

InuYasha stopped in the middle of the ballroom, taking one of her hands in his and lifting her other to his shoulder.  Kagome felt her cheeks heating up when he placed his other hand on her waist.  _I suppose this shouldn't embarrass me so much..._ She glanced around the room at the expectant faces of her friends...  _No, my family._

"And what do I need?"

"Oh, nothing anymore. You already have it: love."

The small band in the corner began playing and Kagome was swept off her feet. She smiled as she followed his lead, not even trying to hold back the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes.

"What's the matter?" InuYasha asked, watching her with worry in his eyes.

"I'm just so  _happy_." Kagome glanced around at all the smiling faces dancing along side them. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before. And I've never seen yu so happy being surrounded by so many people." She met InuYasha's eyes and smiled at him. "Thank you."

The song picked up to a fast paced tempo and Kagome felt her feet being lifted from the ground as InuYasha spun her around in a sweeping circle. She laughed and closed her eyes, relishing in the sensation of trusting the man she loved.

"That's better."

Kagome opened her eyes to look at him, still pressed against his chest, feet dangling in the air. Her hands rested on his shoulders.

"This is how you should look all the time."

Kagome quirked a brow.

"Happy."

Kagome smiled and pressed a light kiss on his lips. The room broke out in claps and oohs of approval and Kagome felt heat in her cheeks. She pulled back a bit and pushed on InuYasha's chest lightly. "Okay you can put me down now."

InuYasha laughed and began spinning her around again. "No, never. I'm never putting you down ever again."

"Well, life is going to be a little bit difficult if you're carrying me around everywhere." Kagome giggled, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

InuYasha sighed dramatically and set her down on her feet. "Okay, I guess I'll have to settle for holding your hand."

"And never let it go?" Kagome asked, smiling.

InuYasha smiled back at her. "Never."

"You should guard your words more carefully, Lord InuYasha. A young maiden such as myself might get the wrong idea."

The fast paced song ended and was replaced by a slow waltz. He pulled her closer, Kagome resting her cheek against his chest. "And what wrong ideas are my words portraying to my poor, young maiden?"

"Well, it almost sounded like you were-"

"Kagome, my dear!" Grandfather bumped into them, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. "You don't mind if I cut in, do you?" His old eyes twinkled up at InuYasha.

"Of course." InuYasha passed her hand off to Grandfather. "Just bring her back quickly."

Kagome allowed herself to be pulled away, still wondering if he was going to do what she thought he was going to do. She glanced back and watched him caress the front of his jacket just over his breast pocket.

 

~InuYasha~

 

InuYasha watched Kagome leave, fingering the lump in his breast pocket. His anxiety welled up in chest and made its way into his throat. He took a steadying breath.  _Quit freaking yourself out so much. You already know how she feels about you. I just need to take the initiative and get over myself._

He was smacked on the shoulder, drawing his attention to Miroku, the offending hand himself. "So, you're still going through with it, right?"

InuYasha sighed, running his hand through his bangs briefly. "Yeah, I just can't believe how nervous I am."

"Well, I can't blame you. This is a pretty big step forward in your relationship." Miroku slung an arm around InuYasha's shoulder. "Actually, this is your first  _real_  relationship, isn't it?"

InuYasha glared at his friend out the corner of his eye. "Says the man who married the first woman he courted."

Miroku laughed. "Now, now, we're talking about  _your_ love life, not mine."

Sango sidled up beside them. "Where did Kagome run off to?" She tilted her head, searching the room. Her mouth was twisted in frown. "Whatever you do, you  _have_ to be sure to do it  _here_. In the ballroom. Everyone wants to see this. Don't you dare do it anywhere else. I  _will_  hurt you."

 _She would, too, wouldn't she._ InuYasha sighed again, anxiety rising. He searched the room, trying to find Kagome in the crowded ballroom.  _Where did those two go?_

"I'll be right back," he said, shrugging out of Miroku's grasp. 

"Don't forget!" Sango called after him. "Do it  _here_!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you."

He navigated the ballroom floor, searching for any sign of Kagome.  _Where the hell did that crazy old coot take her?_  He climbed the grand staircase, peering over the edge of the railing. The room was a bustle with the sound of people talking and the blur of dancing couples. He took in a deep breath trying to track down her scent.  _It's no use, there are too many people here._

"Master InuYasha, is there something wrong?" 

InuYasha turned to see the man that he'd seen Kagome with in the stables.  _What was his name again...?_  "Hojo!"

The young man jumped, clearly surprised. "Oh, you remembered my name."

"Right, um, have you seen Kagome?"

"Oh, yes, she seemed quite pleased with all the preparations you've made!"

"Hojo, please, I'm trying so hard to be civil right now.  _Where_ is Kagome?"

Hojo's face fell. 

"I'm only joking Hojo."

His face relaxed. 

"But really, have you seen Kagome around recently?"

Hojo frowned for a second, searching his thoughts. "Right! I think I saw Lady Kagome and her Grandfather heading towards the roof-"

"Thank you, bye!" InuYasha called out over his shoulder, heading towards the roof.

_She always picks the most inconvenient times to disappear._

 

~Kagome~

 

"Grandfather, where are we going?" Kagome giggled as he led her out of the ballroom and up a flight of dark stairs.

"You'll see soon, my dear."

They reached a door and Grandfather pushed it open, revealing the roof of the castle. The cool air felt good on her heated skin and she took a moment to absorb the feeling.

"Ahh, this feels nice." Kagome sighed and leaned against the nearby railing.  _The moon is so full and bright tonight, and there's not a cloud in sight._

"You look so much like your mother, child. Just as beautiful... if not more."

Kagome turned to look at him. "Oh, Grandfather don't make me blush." Kagome placed a hand on one of her heated cheeks. 

"Oh but it's true!" Grandfather leaned against the railing beside her. "There's something about a woman being in love that just makes her that much more beautiful."

"Is it really so obvious?" Kagome laughed. "And here I thought I was hiding it so well."

Grandfather laughed heartily, holding onto his stomach. "Trust me, it is quite a thing to hide. Impossible, really."

"I've just never felt this way about anyone before. It's kind of... exhilarating."

Kagome felt her heart leap in her throat, thinking about her feelings for InuYasha.  _I really do love him. I just hope he feels the same way._

"You don't doubt your feelings for him, do you?"

"No, of course not. I've told him countless times already how I feel..." Kagome glanced down at her laced fingers. 

"But?"

"I just wish he would be a bit more open with  _his_  feelings. I know it's not an automatic thing, opening your heart up to someone you've known for a few short months. And he is getting better!

"For the longest time, he thought beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was somehow  _his fault_  that I was attacked. That it was somehow all his fault that my life was in any sort of danger." Kagome smiled softly. _I'm just so glad that the misunderstanding has finally been cleared up and  we're back to where we belong... Together._ She could practically feel the pieces of her life falling into place.

 

~InuYasha~

 

InuYasha took the stairs three at a time, feeling his anxiety grow. He was ready. Beyond ready. Ready to devote his life to Kagome. 

To tell her how much he loved her. 

_To ask her to be my wife._

InuYasha had never felt so happy, so full... Just full of life and... complete in every way he'd never thought possible. He needed to tell her these feeling before his stupid brain got in the way and screwed everything up.  _Like it always messes everything up._

He threw open the door to the roof and sighed in relief.  _She's here._ Then he felt his anxiety bubble up in his throat.  _Shit, why does this have to be so hard?_ His fingers went to the lump on his jacket again, trying to calm himself.

 

~Kagome~

 

"What if it was his fault?"

Kagome frowned, turning to look Grandfather in the eyes. "How could you say such a thing, Grandfather? That's not even a funny joke."

"No, think about it, dear girl: you were never in any danger until you came to this castle. Not once."

 _I can't believe what I'm hearing right now._ Kagome shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. InuYasha would never do anything to put me in danger. If the past month has taught me anything, it's that."

"That's all well and good. But the moment you enter this... evil place, you are attacked by wolves, placed under a curse... How many more times do you have to almost die for you to see what is going on right under your very nose?"

"Grandfather, what's the matter? You don't sound like yourself."

Kagome watched Grandfather's mouth twist into a smirk.

"You always were a smart child. Naive, but smart."

Kagome looked on in horror as the skin on Grandfather's face melted and twisted in place, oozing down around his entire body. 

"You should have said yes to me while I was being nice,  _Kagome._ "

The molten flesh settled and reformed around the man in front of her. "Naraku."

"If only you had come to me when I asked so nicely... None of this would have happened." His purple eyes lit with an evil glint. "But look what you've gone and made me do."


	12. Chapter Eleven: Making Deals with the Devil

**Chapter Eleven: Making Deals with the Devil**

"If only you had come to me when I asked so nicely... None of this would have happened." Purple eyes lit with an evil glint. "But look what you've gone and made me do."

Kagome searched for her voice, trying to express her confusion in words that made sense. Not that any of the thoughts racing through her head made any sense. "What-what are you talking about? How did you do this?"

"Come now, Kagome, you can't tell me you are surprised." An evil smirk twisted his lips. "I expected more from you. Though, I did try my best to have you come to me of your own free will... Clearly that is no longer an option. You've gone and given your heart away to that  _halfbreed_." 

Kagome backed away from the man- no creature- before her. "What, I was supposed to give it to you? What exactly are you?"

Naraku gave a dark laugh, stalking towards her. He held out his hands, palms face, long thin  _tentacles_ extending from out of his kimono sleeves. "I am Naraku, a great and powerful demon. The ruler of all demons, you could say. But that is of little import. All you need to know is you will call me husband."

"Excuse me? You think you can just  _demand_ my heart? That is not how love works: You have to earn someone's affection. It's not something you just served to you on a silver platter because you're powerful and you demand it." Kagome felt the fuzzy tingling in the back of her head of a concealment ward coming down and a huge weight filled the air. This was the full power of the demon Naraku.

_No, demon isn't quite right... I sense something human at the center but there's more than one demon. It's like he's surrounded in hundreds of demons... Like he devoured them to gain their power. I can see the outline of them slithering through his aura._

"I could force you to come with me but what would be the fun in that?" 

Kagome's back hit the railing on the far end of the roof. "But why do you want me? I'm nothing special."

Naraku scoffed. "Please, Kagome, don't make me laugh. When have you not been special? You have the greatest spiritual energy ever seen in a mere human. You are beautiful. I desire you. You are the only being special enough to even come close to comparing to my greatness."

"What are you  _talking_ about?" Kagome grabbed onto the railing, feeling the need to hold onto something for support. The metal was colder than the air whipping past them.

"This innocent act is really getting old, Kagome." Naraku scowled and two of the squirming tentacles shot out, wrapping tight around her wrists.

Kagome gasped, struggling against the vine like appendages. "But if everything that's been happening has been your doing, then you almost killed me. Why would you try to kill me if what you're saying is true?"

"Oh, the curse? That was your fault. If you had just let it play out the way it was meant to like a good little girl you would have been brought safely to me." The vines tightened around her wrists, dragging her closer towards him. "But you had to be  _difficult_." Kagome was yanked across the rooftop, stumbling into Naraku's outstretched arms. "You've always been difficult... even as a child." He wrapped his arms around her. 

"I didn't know you as a child!" Kagome fought to escape from his grasp, pushing against his chest. The calm in his voice, even when she could sense the anger underneath, was unnerving. 

He gave a clipped laugh. "You don't remember! Oh, isn't that just beautiful?" 

Kagome felt something gnawing at the back of her mind, warning her, telling her not to dig too deep. She shook the feeling away. She needed to know what he was talking about. To understand why he was going to such great lengths to capture her. To make her his. "What do I not remember? Tell me." She steeled her nerves and pushed the gnawing sensation away.

Naraku's evil smirk softened into the face she remembered from her time in the village. He was almost smiling. 

The sight made her sick. The gnawing turned into a buzzing. She tried her best to ignore it.

"I was there, dear Kagome," he said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "That night long ago when your family was killed."

The buzzing turned into a hum.

"I did it myself, you know. It pleased me to watch them die. Not much pleases me, you see, so I took great pleasure in the show."

The hum turned into a scream. Tears welled in her eyes from the pain and bile rose in her throat. "Why?"

"It's quite simple: because I wanted  _you_. Even back then your powers were quite the marvel, to be sure. Your family was a nuisance. They just got in the way and then there was all the yelling and begging... An annoyance, if you will. So I  _got rid of them_. Then, there you were: bathed in the light of the fire that consumed your house and family. You were so confused, so scared.

"Then you ruined everything." His eyes narrowed and he wrapped a hand around her upper arm.

Images flashed before her eyes.

Blood.

Fire.

Smoke.

Ashes.

The images came into focus, blurring around the edges. Kagome was standing inside her childhood home. Mama and Papa stood before her, Papa holding his axe up, Mama a pan. 

_You will hand over the girl._

The voice echoed from Kagome's body and she moved forward. She watched on, helpless, as Papa was run through with her sword. His body crumpling to the floor before her as she withdrew her weapon. Blood dripped from the blade into the wound in Papa's chest. 

Mama stared at her with wide, horror filled eyes. "You can't have her!" She swung the pan. Kagome's vision shifted and twisted, Mama screamed, and when her vision righted, Mama was lying over Papa's body, limp. A bright red gash extended from her left hip to her right shoulder. 

"Ma-ma!" Kagome recognized the voice of her little brother, Souta. Her vision focused on him, hiding behind Little Kagome. He was crying, inconsolable. 

_Take the girl._

Two men appeared from behind her holding torches. One grabbed Little Kagome and the other picked up Souta and took him into the backroom. Kagome stepped outside, following the bandit with Little Kagome. A short time later the other bandit came out of the house. 

_Burn it to the ground._

The two bandits nod and set about using their torches to set the house on fire. Kagome watched her home catch on fire and blaze bright. Her vision focused back onto Little Kagome, bathed in the glow of the inferno.

"What happened to Mama and Papa? Where did Souta go?" Little Kagome asked, eyes wide and shining with tears. 

_They're dead. You belong to me now._

"What's dead mean?" Little Kagome's face scrunched in confusion.

_It means you'll never see them again. You will spend the rest of your days with me. Protecting me with your special magic._

"I'll never see Mama, Papa, or Souta ever again?" Little Kagome's face fell and tears fell from her wide eyes. The light of the fire bathed her tiny form in orange. The fire reflected in the shine of her eyes. 

_Yes, now come. You belong to me._

Kagome's hand reached out for Little Kagome.

Little Kagome screamed, eyes squeezing shut. Kagome's vision was over taken by a bright white light and she felt her body being pulled in every direction at once.

And it stopped. She was herself again. The screaming in her head was gone, now replaced with a wailing moan. Kagome felt tears pricking her eyes and bile rising in her throat. 

"Then, you killed me." Naraku released his grip on her, his tentacles slackening a bit, her legs collapsing beneath her. "You tore me into  _hundreds_ of pieces. My men, too, but they were never important. Minions have always been easy to come by.

"You  _undid_  me, and because of that I was able to remake myself. Build myself a stronger body and become the strongest man alive. The strongest demon alive."

Kagome took a few moments to gather her composure.  _I will not give him the pleasure of seeing me break._ "Shouldn't you want me dead? I hurt you- I killed you." Not that I remember how. She felt weak, drained physically and emotionally. 

"You made me God." He smirked down at her.

"You're  _insane_ ," Kagome spat out the words as if they were venom on her lips. Hatred bubbled in her already roiling stomach. "You're no god. You aren't even a proper demon. You're nothing but a sick man with delusions of grandeur- No, you aren't even a human anymore are you? Not really. It's all twisted and buried away. You're just a monster, a murderer and a monster."

"Yes, that's all well and good. However, I grow weary of your backtalk woman. Perhaps I should just absorb you the way I absorbed all those demons. Your powers would fit quite nicely within my arsenal." Naraku heaved a heavy sigh. "It would be such a _shame_ , though. I was so looking forward to our joining. Imagine how  _powerful_ our children would be." He smiled and for the first time Kagome could see the joy in his eyes. 

"I'd sooner die then be responsible for bringing your evil offspring into the world."

His tentacles dragged her to her feet, forcing her to meet his leering gaze. "You have two options, Kagome: refuse my offer and everyone in this castle becomes a part of me or marry me and save them all. Your choice." He reached out and dragged a finger down her cheek and across her lips. 

Kagome flinched away. "Fine! As long you swear not to hurt anyone."

"Deal. A word of caution: if you try to escape or attempt to defy me in any way, they will die. I will kill every person you love. Right in front of you. In the slowest, most pain inducing way imaginable." His tentacles released her, receding under his kimono. He extended a hand towards her. 

_One day, I will remember how to destroy you. I will remember how to end you and this time I will make sure it sticks._

She balled hands into fists, steeling her resolve. "I have one stipulation: give me this last night my friends. Let me say my goodbyes even if they're unspoken."

Naraku rubbed his chin, mulling the thought in his head. He gave a curt nod and folded his arms across his chest. "Very well.  _One night_. On the stroke of midnight, we leave."

"You have my word."

"Kagome, there you are." 

Kagome jumped at the unexpected voice and turned to see InuYasha smiling an anxious sort of smile. She turned back to Naraku only to see an empty roof top. She let out a sigh of relief and faced InuYasha again, smiling at him.

"I thought you were up here with Gramps," he said, reaching her and placing his hands on her arms. "You're freezing!" He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, warmth spreading across her bared skin.

"I'm fine." She said and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her still wet eyes into his chest before he could see the tears. "You're here, so I'm fine."

He wrapped his arms around her and she felt his warmth radiating through her. _I hadn't realized how cold I was. Or maybe I just never realized how warm he is. My InuYasha's warm, sweet heart._

He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head and pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Now, come back inside. I have something important to ask you and I've been informed- well  _ordered_ really- that I have to ask in front of everyone."

Kagome nodded and followed him back down the stairs and into the ballroom. InuYasha didn't stop until they reached the center of the room. 

The music stopped and everyone stood still,  watching with expectant eyes. Kagome glanced around, wondering what everyone was waiting for. InuYasha grasped her hands in his, running his thumbs over her knuckles to get her attention. 

"I've never been one for public displays of affection and this is far beyond my comfort zone." InuYasha shifted from foot to foot. "But I'll do my best, so here it goes." He cleared his throat and stared straight into her eyes. 

_I've never seen him so unguarded._

"Kagome, you are by far the most wonderful, fantastic woman I've ever met. You spread your light over anyone you come in contact with and their lives are the better for it. I don't think it would be possible for a single person to hate you. Believe me, I tried, for the longest time. It was probably the single most idiotic thing I've ever done. 

"Then you changed me. No, changed isn't the word. You awakened a part of me that fell asleep a long time ago: my heart. You've been working your way in ever since you set foot in this castle. Every word you've spoken and every move you've made has embedded you further in my heart."

_No, he couldn't possibly be-_

He bent down on one knee and withdrew the lump from his breast pocket. It was a small wooden box. He flipped the lid open, revealing a ring. "Kagome."

 _No_. Kagome felt her heart breaking. Tears stung her for the second time this night and her hands shot to her mouth to smother the whimper that threatened to escape. _Please don't._

"Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

 


	13. Chapter Twelve: I Won't Say Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI up-ing the rating because of this chapter....
> 
> You'll see why.... >////>

** Chapter Twelve: I Won't Say Goodbye **

He stared up at her expectantly, waiting for her answer.

_ Well, I obviously can't say yes but I don't want to say no either. Not in front of everyone- no, even if there was no one here I wouldn't want to say no. So I guess the only answer is- _

"Yes." 

Kagome's eyes widened and her hand clamped to her mouth.  _What am I thinking?! I can't do this._

InuYasha's face lit up with the brightest, most genuine smile, reaching all the way up to his eyes. He rose to his feet and swept her up into hug, lifting her feet off the ground. "You will?"

Her heart soared to see the look of pure joy on his face.  _I can. One last moment of happiness... before a lifetime of darkness._

"Of course I will." 

He set her back down on her feet and plucked the ring from its box. He grinned as he took her left hand in his and slipped the band on her ring finger. 

Kagome stared at the ring: an intricate golden filigree sprouted from the back of the band expanding out towards the stone which was a pale jade.  _I can't believe I'm going through with this..._

Whoops and cheers coming from around them drew her from her thoughts. Smiles greeted her in every direction.  _All of my friends, my family... I may never see any of them again- No, I can't think like that. I_ will _see them again._

"Congratulations!"

"Good on you, love!"

"Thanks for giving our Lord a good swift kick in the rear."

Kagome felt the pad of a thumb swipe under her eye, drying tears she didn't realize she had let slip. "Tears of joy?" He smiled down at her. 

_ No... So far from it, my love. _

Kagome smiled back and wiped the remaining tears from her face. 

"Congratulations, Kagome!" Sango called out as she ran up to her and enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so glad your fiancé listens so well." She pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. "I may or may not have threatened bodily harm if he didn't propose to you where everyone could see."

_ She doesn't even look guilty about it... That's my Sango.  _ Kagome giggled to herself. 

Miroku appeared beside Sango, threading his arm in a practiced and polished motion around her waist. "I feel it was quite justified after all the threats InuYasha has made on my life. But this is all beside the point. I just wanted to see the beginning of his transformation. It's about time someone made an honest man out of him."

InuYasha scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, because that worked so well on you." He placed his hand on the small of Kagome's back.

Sango sighed. "What can I say? I can only do so much with what was given to me. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm no miracle worker. Unfortunately I am but a simple human woman, with the strength on two men."

"Now Sango, I won't have you spreading such falsehoods. I have always been an honest man. If anything you could say I am  _too_  honest."

Sango crossed her arms over her chest, huffing. "No,  _monk_ , that particular 'honesty' is called over sharing and no one likes it."

Kagome smiled watching the two argue like the old married couple they were.  _I wonder if InuYasha and I will be so adorable when we've been married for fifty years._

"But darling, the world  _needs_  to know the extent of my undying love for you." Miroku's hand on Sango's back travelled a slow, inching path down before landing on her but and giving it a good squeeze. 

Sango pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a gusty sigh. "What, have I told you about groping in front of the company,  _dear_?"

Miroku laughed nervously, rubbing her butt. 

Sango's eyes snapped open and fire seemed to blaze out of them as she wheeled back and smacked him across the face, leaving a bright red hand print on his cheek. 

Miroku sighed in contentment, caressing the mark on his face. "It was worth it."

Kagome became hyper aware of InuYasha's hand on her back, its heat warming her from the outside in. "Miroku, grow up." InuYasha sneered at his friend. 

Miroku poked a finger at InuYasha's chest. "No, InuYasha,  _you_  grow up. You don't understand the mind of a married man; his desires and thought processes. You haven't even seen Kagome in the-" Sango clamped a hand over his mouth. 

"Over sharing!" she hissed in his ear. She turned back to them, smiling. "Excuse us, we're going to go somewhere far away from you two... Before I murder my own husband before he at least gives me children."

Kagome laughed as she watched Sango drag Miroku across the ballroom. "I can't wait until we're that close."

InuYasha wrapped his other arm around her, turning her to look at him. "Can't we just be normal?"

Kagome shook her head, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Normal is boring, and we both know we are so very far from normal."

He sighed. "If you insist." Kagome squealed as he lifted her off her feet and flung her over his shoulder, spinning around the dance floor.

* * *

 

Kagome and InuYasha made their rounds of the ballroom, making sure to talk with everyone. Kagome hugged each person, receiving congratulations and well wishes. InuYasha subjected himself to kisses on the cheek from all the women and claps on the back from the men. 

Totosai grabbed him by the neck, pulling him down to give him a noogie. "Always knew you had it in you!" he exclaimed, laughing as InuYasha struggled to break free. 

"Old man-!"

Totosai released him and smacked him on the back with a resounding clap that echoed throughout the ballroom. 

Kagome stooped down to press a kiss to Totosai's wrinkled cheek. "Thank you for your enthusiasm, but I would kindly ask you  _not_ to injure my fiancé."

"I aint so easily broken." InuYasha huffed.

The old man quirked his head to the side and raised a brow. "Wait, you're getting married? To this knuckle head?" He pulled InuYasha down again, inspecting his face with squinted eyes.

"Who else would she marry? No one else in this castle is single except Shippou," InuYasha grumbled once he was free of the swordsmith's grasp.

Kagome chuckled at his pout.  _He's right. Even Hojo is married to the head maid, Yuki._ Kagome had found that out just this evening in the process of greeting the castle staff.

She let out a gasp when Shippou appeared in front of her all of a sudden, popping out of a puff of smoke and landing in her arms. "Yes, Kagome!" He threw his head back dramatically. "I, the powerful ninja warrior Shippou, shall take on the heavy burden of caring for and protecting your heart." He pursed his lips into a kissy face

Kagome laughed, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Sweet Shippou, I'm sorry, I've already promised InuYasha I would marry him."

"Yeah shorty, you were too slow on the draw." InuYasha added, ruffling his hair while Shippou pouted.

They spent the next hour with everyone and dancing to the occasional song when the band picked up. Sango had to drag Miroku out of the room several times when his over sharing became unbearable. Kagome grew suspicious when they returned the second time, smoothing out rumpled clothing and straightening stray hairs. 

The grandfather clock tolled ten o'clock as the party was wrapping up, everyone heading back to their rooms for the night. Sango had rushed to help Kagome out of her gown and into her nightgown. She excused herself hastily and ran down the hall towards her room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Kagome's eyes turned to the clock on her mantle. She fidgeted with the ring on her finger, twisting it back and forth. _Should I tell him?_ She started pacing, watching the clock tick closer to midnight.  _I should at least tell him I need to leave._ She mulled over her thoughts, continuing to pace anxiously. She wasn't convinced letting herself say any form of goodbye was a good idea. Her resolve to stay in her room was growing thinner.

She glanced at the clock again and almost sobbed. 

10:45

Her resolve snapped.  _I need to see him._ She threw a shawl over her shoulders to cover her nightgown and opened the door. She stepped forward, eyes on the ground, and ran into something warm and solid. Fingers wrapped around her upper arms. Her eyes shot up in surprise to see InuYasha, his own eyes wide with surprise.

Kagome heaved a heavy sigh of relief, placing a hand over her pounding heart. "For a second I thought..." She shook her head and smiled up at him. "I was just coming to look for you." She shifted out of his grasp and took his hands in her own, pulling him into the room and closing the door behind them. "I need to talk to you."

InuYasha sat down on the couch facing the fireplace. The fire bathed him in its light and Kagome had to push back the images of what Naraku had inadvertently shown her. She sat down next to him, taking a deep breath to steel her nerves. 

"You have to leave, don't you?" He was staring at his hands, clasped in his lap.

Kagome felt her heart drop into her stomach. "How did you-?"

"I heard you talking on the roof. I only caught part of the conversation." He lifted his head, eyes meeting hers. "The part about you having to leave at midnight."

"That's what I was coming to talk to you about." She cupped his hands in hers, scooting closer to him. "I do have to leave."

His eyes dropped back to their hands in his lap.

She brought a hand up to cup his face, their eyes meeting again. His brows drew together, eyes confused. "But this is  _not_  goodbye. I  _am_  coming back. I have something to deal with, something personal. I don't know how long it will take but I  _will_  come back to you." She searched his eyes for a sign of understanding but all she found was uncertainty. "I promise you. We are engaged. A bride can't miss her own wedding."

He frowned, pulling her into his arms. "You better not. I have it on good authority that Sango would murder the groom if anything were to interfere with 'her happy day'."

She chuckled shortly, choking on a sob, and buried her face into the crook of his neck. Her hands fisted in the front of his shirt. "We can't have that, now can we?" She felt more tears prick her eyes, imagining Sango fuss over her, preparing her for her wedding day. Her fingers tightened in his shirt. When she spoke, her voice betrayed her, coming out broken. "InuYasha, I love you."

He pulled back to look at her, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Are you sure you're going to be okay? You sound like a soldier going off to fight in a war they know they won't be returning from."

"I'll be fine. Who would go with me? The curse still stands and Shippou's the only person aside from me who can leave the castle."

"There must be _something_ I can do..." He held her at arm’s length, a war of emotions playing out in his eyes. 

_ He looks so defeated. _

"Just... hold me?" she offered, running her hands over his arms.

He nodded and she climbed onto his lap, tucking her head under his chin. She twined her arms under his, fingers digging into the back of his shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut against another onslaught of tears. His hands shifted, one moving to her back and the other running down her arm to rest on her hip, pulling her as close to him as possible. 

"Anything else I can do?"

She untucked her head and stared up at him. "Kiss me."

He leaned forward, pressing his hand into the small of her back. Kagome let her eyelids flutter shut, anticipating his lips on hers. She frowned when she felt their gentle pressure on her forehead.

"InuYasha, what are you-?"

His lips brushed lightly over her right eyelid. Kagome felt her cheeks heat up. His lips disappeared before reappearing over her left eyelid. 

Heat pooled in her belly when he pulled away again, wondering where his lips would land this time. She couldn't suppress the giggle when she felt his lips on the tip of her nose and opened her eyes. The giggle caught in her throat. His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that made her heart pound in her chest.

He placed a kiss on one cheek, pulled back to look her in the eyes, and kissed her on the other. 

Her heart pounded harder, the heat in her belly growing hotter.

She may not have heard the words yet, but she knew how much InuYasha loved her. How much he cherished her. She could feel it in every caress of his lips on her skin. Her skin felt hot and over-sensitized.

Finally, their lips met and Kagome sighed into the kiss.

He pulled away too soon and Kagome found herself dragging his lips back to hers desperately. Kissing InuYasha was a welcome, if not exceedingly pleasant, distraction. He helped her forget, if only for a little while.

Forget what she had seen about her family.

Forget her deal.

Forget Naraku, in general.

Forget her own name.

Only a single word echoed through her mind:  _InuYasha_. She shifted, straddling his lap to deepen the kiss. His hands were on her hips, pulling her closer. She dragged her fingers through his hair, stopping at the tie restraining the shimmering silver strands. She tugged at the bow, his long hair flowing in a silken curtain down his back.

Kagome pulled back in need of air. She found she was suddenly curious to see what her future husband looked like with his hair down. Her breath was coming out in light pants and the heat in her belly had become a fire. 

_ Beautiful... _

Kagome had never thought a man to be beautiful before. InuYasha was that and so much more and her heart leapt into her throat with the way he was staring at her. The intensity in his eyes would be her undoing. She wasn't sure she could handle that right now. 

"Tell me to stop," she said, feeling her uncertainty grow.

"Do you want to stop?"

_ Of course not.  _ "No."

"Then don't."

She sat back on his knees. "But this is a  _horrible_  idea."

"Why is it a horrible idea?" He sat forward, not giving her an inch.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "It'll just make everything so complicated."

"In what way?"

"Because I won't want to leave!" she whispered harshly, pressing her forehead to his. Tears formed in her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time and she felt like a fool for letting her emotions rule over her.

He kissed away her tears, cupping her face in his hands and smiling at her. "I will do whatever you want. All you have to do is tell me."

Kagome knew what she wanted. She wanted him. She bit her lip, embarrassed to speak the words. She clasped her hands behind his neck and pulled him into a brief kiss. The clock struck eleven, as if punctuating the moment.

"Make love to me."

Kagome closed her eyes, losing herself in InuYasha. She reveled in the feeling of his lips as they travelled over her skin. His hands traced lines and patterns where his lips had been. She couldn't remember how, but they somehow ended up on her bed, stripped of their clothing. InuYasha hovered over her, drinking her in with his eyes.

She felt fire on her skin where his hands roamed. A pressure building at the core of her being. His fingers brought her to singing heights only for her world to come crashing down on her in a moment of shaking release.

He was over her now, looking her in the eyes, making sure she was okay.

Making sure she was ready.

She nodded.

Then he was entering her: claiming her and completing her in the same moment.

It was... uncomfortable? She wasn't sure that was the word. Maybe unfamiliar.

Her brows furrowed at the odd feeling, reaching out to InuYasha to stop. It was all so strange and new and not at all what she had expected. Her muscles loosened and when she urged him to start moving again the feeling had all but disappeared.

She was experiencing a sense of completion she'd never thought possible.

So complete and so full as they moved in a synchronized motion.

They were one. She wasn't entirely sure they'd ever been separate in the first place. She was positive at this point that if she were to feel for his heart beat, they would both be beating the same erratic pattern.

Kagome felt that familiar pressure building. A tightly wound spring creaking in protest until she came undone. InuYasha followed suit soon after, curling in on himself, then collapsing beside her. 

Head still muddled with fuzzy static, she rolled over to cuddle into his side and rest her head on his shoulder. She ran a hand up his chest, stopping where she could feel his heart. She smiled to herself.  _Our hearts do match._

She glanced up at him. His eyes were still closed, still lost in the feeling. She ran her fingers through the small, light patch of silver hair on his chest, the ring on her finger glinting in the firelight. 

"InuYasha?"

She felt him shift under her, a hand tracing lines on her back. "Hm?"

She rolled more onto him, crossing her arms over his chest and setting her chin on them. "Where did you get this ring from?" She splayed her hand out on his chest, examining it closely. "I don't remember there being any metal workers in the castle, so you didn't have it made. And no one can leave the castle. That rules out buying it. Unless you sent Shippou, but I can't imagine you would trust his judgment. I would have remembered a traveling merchant coming through-"

He smiled at her, placing his hand over hers. "It was my mother's."

Kagome blushed.  _He's given me another piece of her. He really is opening up before my eyes._ "I guess I should have known. Thank you, for sharing another piece of her with me."

InuYasha brought her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over her knuckles. "It's been in her family for generations. My father actually proposed to her with this ring.... It took a few times for her to say yes. She was so stubborn and head strong. She refused to say yes until he gave her a _proper_ _proposal._ He finally figured out what she meant, and had Sesshomaru with him the final time. Asking her to join his family."

"That's so sweet." She smiled, tilting her head into her arm. She laced her fingers with his.

"I want to continue passing this ring down. To our child and to our child's child."

Kagome's voice caught in her throat. She'd almost said 'if I come back'. Then she felt a seed of doubt sprouting in her heart. _What if I can't come back...?_

Her thoughts must have been all over her face because InuYasha kissed her, pulling back to give her an intense look. "Don't go."

Kagome sat up. "How can you say that? I've told you how important this is to me."

He followed her wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I'm just so afraid that you aren't going to come back."

She sighed. "I know, I'm just as scared as you are." There was no point in denying it anymore. She could imagine being stuck with Naraku for the rest of her life and it made her sick to her stomach.

"Then don't go alone, at least."

She pulled back, looking at him with questioning eyes. "We've already had this discussion."

"I'll go with you." He took a deep breath, as if preparing to say something important. "Because I love-"

The clock struck midnight.

Darkness surrounded her and she felt the sheets beneath her disappear. 


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Other Beast's Castle

**Chapter Thirteen: The Other Beast's Castle**

Kagome shivered, convulsing, her bare skin coming in contact with cold hard floors. She felt an ache just behind her eyes and the room seemed to spin around her. 

When her vision cleared a woman she recognized stood before her. 

The woman rolled her eyes and conjured a blanket, draping it around Kagome's shoulders. When she speaks it's a dead pan voice. "Welcome to Naraku's castle...  _mistress."_

Kagome's fingers clutched at the blanket, crying into her knees.  _InuYasha..._ The ache in her eyes grew stronger and her throat burned. 

 _I was right..._ she thought bitterly, biting her bottom lip to stifle a sob.  _Naraku found a way to make everything just that much more difficult._

The woman cleared her throat, drawing Kagome's attention. "You may want to consider getting dressed and getting some rest. The Master is taking care of some... business, but will be returning shortly." 

Her tone had been all business and dry disinterest but Kagome could have sworn she glimpsed a hint of compassion in Kagura's eyes. Kagome nodded, rubbing away her tears.

"Follow me to your quarters."

She rose and followed Kagura through the castle.  _Perhaps I will have an ally in this after all._

* * *

Sango hummed to herself as she set about her morning task of waking everyone for breakfast. Life in the castle was much more enjoyable now that Kagome and InuYasha were speaking to each other. She wasn't having to walk on eggshells around her stupid dog-eared friend. Kagome wasn't in constant need of a shoulder to cry on. Sure, Kagome was her friend and she always wanted to be there for her, but she had to admit their whole relationship was becoming a bit ridiculous.

Why did everything have to be so  _difficult_  for them? Why couldn't their love have come as easy as hers? To be fair they did have the curse looming over their heads and InuYasha's concerns about her safety weren't unfounded. With Miroku everything was  _simple._  He loved her. She loved him. 

No mess.

No fuss.

Certainly no fighting... most of the time. At least their fighting was in regards to something  _other_  than their relationship.

She shook her head. None of that mattered. Not anymore.

He'd proposed to her last night and Sango had never seen her friends happier. She'd already been by InuYasha's room and found it empty, so she could only assume they'd spent the night in Kagome's room. 

She couldn't wait to hear the details! 

She sighed in contentment as she approached Kagome's door. 

...

Something wasn't right. 

The air around the door set her nerves on edge. Being a demon huntress, she'd always been sensitive to the sensation of magic. She'd even come to be able to tell the difference between light and dark magic.

There was dark magic in the air... It had faded considerably but the... sticky feeling still lingered in the air and pricked in the back of her mind. She recognized this particular magic.

It was the same magic she'd felt after Kagome's incident with the nightmare. 

She knocked on the door.

"...Come in..."

Sango opened the door, afraid of what she might see on the other side. She peered inside.

InuYasha was on the bed cross-legged and his hair shrouding his face. 

One glance around the rest of the room confirmed her previous suspicions. Piles of clothing littered the floor. She shook her head again and sat on the bed next to InuYasha, who had at least put on some pants.

"What- um, what happened?" she asked, seeing the resigned look in his eyes. Everything about him looked different today: his eyes looked hollow and his posture made him look so defeated, even his hair was down. He looked so... defenseless?"Where's Lady Kagome?"

"She's gone."

What?

"What do you mean, she's gone?  _What happened?_ "

He sighed. "I just... I don't want to talk about it right now."

Sango jumped to her feet, scowling at him. "I swear, if you've hurt her again-"

"It's not like that."

"Well, what  _is_ it like then?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Last night everything seemed just fine and now, all of a sudden, Kagome is gone and there's dark magic  _everywhere._ "

"She had to leave okay?" His eyes focused on her, still not really seeing. "She had to take care of something. She was here... with me. Then she was gone..." The fog seemed to be lifting. He stared at his hands in his lap, fingers flexing before forming tight fists. 

"InuYasha?"

His eyes brimmed with tears. "I don't even know when she's coming back. What if she  _never_  comes back? This is all my fault, if only I'd told her sooner-"

Sango knelt in front of him, putting her hands on his knees and giving a reassuring squeeze. "InuYasha, no. None of this is your fault. I don't know why we have to keep telling you this. Not everything that goes wrong in the world is your fault."

He buried his face in his hands.

Why did their relationship have to be so difficult?

* * *

 

Kagome paced in her room. It had been a week since Naraku had ripped her from InuYasha's arms. He was still no where to be seen. She hadn't even been able to sleep she was so anxious and stressed. At this point she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

She honestly expected him to just show up in her room one day and demand to bed her. She'd had recurring nightmares about that exact situation in various circumstances. When she wasn't having nightmares she was dreaming of InuYasha and starting a family with him. 

Sometimes that was even worse than the nightmares. 

Kagura had become... something. Kagome still wasn't quite sure what to make of the woman's stoic exterior and chilly words. She'd brought her food at meal time and, after Kagome begged for the third time, leaned against a wall examining her cuticles. Bad company was better than no no company at all. Her company was at least better than the few encounters she'd had with Naraku.

She let out a groan of frustration and slid the shoji screen door open. She hadn't realized how accustomed she'd become to the western lifestyle she'd been living. She missed doorknobs. She missed actual doors. Doors with substance that couldn't been seen partially through.

 _I need to do_ something _otherwise sitting and waiting and dreading is going to be the death of me._ She peeked around the door, making sure no one was around.  _I don't even kno/w if there is anyone here besides Kagura._ Seeing the coast was clear, Kagome tiptoed out of her room and made her way down the main hall. 

Well, she'd thought it was the main hall. This was the first time she'd been out of her room since she'd arrived. The door at the end of the hall lead to a square courtyard of sorts. All the plants were dead and the small pond at its center was a sickly green color. Each wall surrounding the area had a set of sliding doors leading who knows where. 

A knot twisted in her stomach and she suddenly felt younger and more naive than she'd ever felt. She couldn't even see the sky because of the roof that towered over her. _No wonder all the plants are dead. Will I shrivel up and die like this too? Locked away and denied even sunshine._

Tears pricked at her eyes. 

 _No!_ She shook her head and wiped at her eyes.  _This is not worth crying over. You're stronger than this._ She puffed out her chest and set about inspecting behind each door, trying to determine where each led. 

... _They all look the same. The same exact doors leading to the same exact hallway. How am I supposed to get out of here?_

Finding her frustration renewed, Kagome flung open a door she seriously hoped wasn't the one she'd come through. When she reached the door at the end of that hall she threw it open too. It wasn't her bedroom, at least. 

It was, however, another hall.

"What is this place?" She clasped her hands to her chest, sifting her way through the littered hall. She didn't want to know what the mystery substance was. It was dark gray and seemed to pulse like... a heart? It started as thin, sparse roots, digging into the floor and walls, growing into thicker roots where they connected to... Plant pods? No they were too thin on the outside and too viscous on the inside. Not to mention she'd never seen a plant like this before and that was saying something. 

They glowed a faint purple from whatever liquid was inside.

 _Amniotic sacs?_ she thought, taking a step closer when she realized there was the faintest outline of  _something_  in one of the larger sacs. "What's in there?" She reached out a hesitant hand and pressed the tips of her fingers experimentally against the surface. There was give in the substance but not so much that it burst with the light touch. 

The shape inside stirred. Kagome noticed for the first time that there were what looked like veins attached to the shadowy blob coming from the outer sac.

She froze. 

The shape stilled. Kagome released the breath she'd been holding. She put more pressure and her fingers slipped through the outer layer and into the... gooey bits. It was warm and wet, bringing to mind one time she'd helped a villager's cow get through a difficult birth. She bit her lip and powered through, slipping her hand further into the sac.  _Almost there..._ She watched with bated breath as her hand came closer and closer to the mystery form. She could almost touch it-

It grabbed her! Something strong and vice-like wrapped around her wrist, pulling her further in. Her heart raced and she scrabbled for purchase on the surface with her other hand only for it to start sinking inside too. The shape inside writhed in erratic, jerky motions, wrapping her other wrist in its grasp. 

"No!" Kagome screamed, finally bracing her feet against the wall and pushing with all her might. There was a sick sounding squelch and the figure emerged through the outer sac, landing beside her on the floor. She was flung back on the floor, knocking the wind out of her lungs. She coughed and sat up, scooting away from the human shaped mass. 

The shape shifted, sitting up and cupping its face. Then the head turned to stare at her in a sharp motion. "Kagome?"

Kagome squinted in the dim light that emanated from one of the few candles lighting the hall. "Grandfather?"

"Kagome, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here-" he turned again to a vein that was still attached to his leg. His shoulders hiked up and he reached out to rip it off. "He knows! He knows everything. I was connected to him somehow while I was in there. It's how he was able to take my form and have access to all my memories."

Kagome threw her arms around his shoulders. "I was so worried about you! How long have you been in there?"She pulled back to examine him for any signs of injury. 

"Too long." He shook his head and covered her shoulders with his hands. "Nevermind that, right now, we need to get out of here. Naraku knows you released me and he's furious-"

" _What do you think you're doing here_?!"


	15. Chapter Fourteen: An Unexpected Ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, it feels like I haven't updated in forever! (blushes furiously)  
> I've been super busy with new job responsibilities and have just been so tired and not in the mood to write. Now that everything seems to be settling down, I can finally come back to this.

**Chapter Fourteen: An Unexpected Ally**

Kagura stared at the sight before her. A mixture of what she believed to be rage and disbelief swirled in the back of her mind. How had this human girl found her way into Naraku's nest without one of those greedy sacks of goo consuming her? Even I don't dare to enter this hall. 

She eyed the sacks before summoning her winds with the flick of her hand, dragging the girl and the old man to safety behind her.

"The bounds of your stupidity amaze me." Another flick and the doors shut behind them. Kagura turned to face them, crossing her arms over her chest. "You need to return to your room before Lord Naraku returns. And you... I'll figure out what to do with you."

Brown eyes glared up at her, screaming her defiance, as Kagome wrapped protective arms around her grandfather. "What did that monster do to my grandfather?" The old man had started mumbling, eyes glassed over and stuck on Kagome's face.

Kagura chuckled with as much amusement as she could muster. Naraku's fighting a loosing battle with this one. She won't be easy to break, let alone bend. "Please, he was perfectly fine. Just sleeping. Now follow me to your room before Naraku is any the wiser."

Kagome's face fell, nodding hesitantly. She turned to the old man and smiled, helping him to his feet. Kagura led the way out of the courtyard and down the hall to Kagome's room, walking with purpose. "We don't have much time so listen close and listen well." They were nearing the door. "Your grandfather is dead."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked.

"Don't interupt," she sighed,  flicking a lazy gust of wind at the door to slide it open. She ushered them in side and slid it closed manually, feeling drained from excessive use of her power. "He's dead." She turned, hands settling on her hips. "The old man passed away of old age in his sleep in his nest. The vision Naraku saw was a dying man's dream, nothing more nothing less. In fact, I found him and took care of the body to save his lordship the hassel. After all what is a servant good for if not for cleaning up their master's messes?"

Kagome sat the old man down next to her washbasin and picked up the soaked cloth, dabbing at his face. Her pretty brow rumpled in confusion. "I still don't understand why you're helping us." 

"Please, do you think everything is about you? This is about me. In a more specific sense, protecting me." Kagura paced in front of the door. "Who do you think he would blame for your escape? Me. Naraku would sooner skin me alive than lay a finger on his precious baby maker."

Kagome's eyes snapped open for a moment before continuing with her cleaning mission. "Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better. Are you sure it's not because you're falling for my master plan to make you my friend?"

The old man was still staring at his granddaughter, mumbling how glad he was that she was okay.

Kagura rolled her eyes, sneering at them. She didn't need emotions to know how disgusting this made her feel. I will never understand how humans can express so many feelings.

"Absolutely not." Kagura shook her head, letting out another sigh. "And for the record demons don't make friends they make allies."

"So I'm an ally then?"

Kagura caught the smirk playing on the young woman's face as she wiped the last bit of goo from the old man's wrinkled cheek. Kagura flushed and she didn't understand why.

She felt Naraku's sudden, invading presence in the back of her head. Something about what she was feeling had him interested. The selfish prick was always abusing his hold over her, starting when he took her heart. He literally ripped her heart from her chest not long after he'd created her from his own flesh. Something to do with insolence... The details were hazy on anything before she was heartless. This lovely action had also taken away her ability to feel.

Emotions at least. And the odd one that happened to slip through were so foreign and small she couldn't discern them or figure out how to deal with them. 

She had memories of a few particularly strong emotions. She remembered hate: hate for Naraku. Self loathing. She'd hated knowing the fact that she was a part of him. It disgusted her to her very core... Up until he relieved her of it.

She shook her head. She hadn't thought about that incident for a long time... Somehow being around this girl brought up old hidden memories.

"Think what you will, human, but we must make haste with regards to the old man if we wish to convince Naraku."

The young woman gave her grandfather a gentle smile and placed the back into the wash basin. She cupped his wrinkled face in her hands and kissed his forehead. "Everything is going to be just fine. I promise."

He finally seemed to find himself and nodded at her.

Kagome turned her full attention on Kagura. "We're ready." She backed away from him, sitting on her futon with her arms folded on her knees.

Kagura pulled her fan from the sleeve of her yukata and snapped it open in a practiced motion. "Brace yourself old man, this will not be a pleasant ride. You may wish to close your eyes."

The old man clamped his eyes shut and set his jaw.

Kagura swept her fan through the air. White tendrils of magic charged wind surrounded him, whirling faster and faster around him. The wind closed around him, forming a spherical shape. The wind ball compressed in on itself and disappeared. The room was deathly still in its absence.

Kagura felt Naraku's presence appear in the castle in the same manner a soap bubble pops. "He's here, act distraught when I tell him what happened."

Kagome's face fell into her usual steely defiance of Naraku.

_In that we are alike._

The door slid open with a loud snap. When Naraku finally spoke it was in a low, calm voice. "What happened to the old man?"

Kagura cast a sidelong glance at him. His pupils had dialated into tight black pinpoints and his brows hung a bare bit lower than usual. Nothing else seemed the least bit different. Not even his stance betrayed a bit of frustration.  _Only his eyes..._  Kagura took great pleasure in getting any kind of emotional response from him.

Her eyes focused back on Kagome who was now glaring at Naraku with so much malice she wasn't sure how she hadn't killed him yet.

"The old man is dead," Kagura said, watching as Kagome's face shifted into one of confusion.  _She's really good at this_. "He passed away in the pod. In his sleep as far as I can tell."

"Pod?" Kagome rose to her feet. "No, wait...  _Dead?_ Did you just say he's dead?" Kagome's face went blank again and she cast her eyes to the ground. When her eyes snapped back up there were tears in her eyes and her teeth ground together. "This is all your fault."

Even though Kagura wasn't on the receiving end of that look, the fire there stirred another unnameable emotion within her. Kagura felt mild interest tickle the back of her mindand this time it was her own.  _I wonder if she knows the healing effect her presence has on her surroundings. Never the less it will be interesting to see what else she can sway into the light._ Her eyes flitted over Naraku, curiosity piqued.

His face wore its normal relaxed smirk again, no longer marred by the slight displacement of his brows. _Then again there might be somethings so dark that the light no longer burdens it._

"What did I do?" He crossed his arms and starred back at her. "You heard Kagura: he died of old age. How is the natural progression of human life my fault?"

"If you hadn't kept him trapped in that, what did you call it?" She glanced to Kagura for information she already knew.

"Pod, mistress," Kagura offered, bowing her head in a graceful tilt.

"Was he fed proper meals in this 'pod'?"

"My pods supply the necessary nutrients to sustain human life," Naraku said, waving a dismissive hand at her.

"Obviously not if my perfectly healthy grandfather  _died_  in one! Humans need more than nutrients to sustain life. We need sunlight, exercise, human interaction-"

"He had his dreams to keep him company."

Kagura could feel his irritation in the special corner of her mind that he used to look in on her. She'd long since sussed out that it was a two way door. She was only able to use it when he was close.  _She's starting to get to him_.

Kagura had to resist the urge to chuckle at how easily Naraku was letting this woman wear at him. And she was acting too.

Kagome let out a broken sound, half sob, half laugh. " _His dreams?_  How often have your dreams kept you company? Do you even dream anymore? Is there even that much humanity left in you?"

Naraku clicked his tongue. "If you're trying to hint that you need human interaction perhaps you would come out to dinner with me."

"Why would I want to eat with you? Looking at you makes me physically ill."

Kagura could feel him snap in her mind before she saw or heard anything. He was on Kagome in the blink of an eye. He had a fist balled in her hair forcing her to look up at him. "Your grandfather is dead, why don't you let it go?" His voice was lower than ever and hissed out between clenched teeth. 

Kagome's eyes were wide but still shone with what Kagura was now going refer to as her fighting spirit. "Why should I?"

The hand in her hair jerked her head further back. "In case you've forgotten, we have an agreement. Unless you want to add to the list of your dead loved ones. I'm sure your dear grandfather would...  _enjoy the human interaction_."

Kagura didn't think it was possible to kill someone with a look, but somehow Kagome was changing her mind. 

" _You are a monster_. But I won't have anyone's blood on my hands... anyone else's."

He released his grip on her, his satisfaction pricking in the back of Kagura's mind. "Good. Now change into something appropriate. It's time we announce our engagement to the villagers." And with that he swept out of the room slamming the door behind him.

Kagura pressed an ear to the door, waiting for the sound of his footsteps to recede. When she was certain he was out of earshot she turned back to Kagome. Kagura almost stumbled over her own feet.  _She's smiling at me... Why is she smiling at me like that?_

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" she asked, walking over to the wardrobe to find a suitable furisode for an engagement announcement. Kagome followed, standing right next to her... bouncing on the balls of her feet and bumping her in the side.

"We make a great team, you and I."

Kagura felt another nudge in her side. 

"Would you stop that?" Kagura swatted at her half heartedly. No heartedly? "I was almost impressed by your ability to tell such bold lies. I was concerned you would be to frail and innocent to commit such a heinous act." Kagura continued to thumb through the stacks of rich, colored fabrics.

Kagome sighed and leaned against the open wardrobe door. "I can't attest to being any of those things. At least not anymore. That's beside the point. I don't think of it as lying. I think of it as acting. I put myself in a mental space where Grandfather really was dead and acted upon those emotions."

"Either way, bravo." She pulled out two options. One was a deep purple silk with white and blue needlework. Clearly Naraku's colors. The other was a bright red, similar to the red hakama Kagome wore around the shrine, with silver and gold stitching. She held them out to Kagome.

Kagome's fingers wrapped carefully around the red silk, taking it into her arms. When turned back from putting the purple one away, Kagome was tracing a delicate silver stitchwork vine with the a fingertip. A small smile tugged at her lips.

"This reminds me of InuYasha: bold with a gentle heart." Her eyes flitted up to meet Kagura's. 

"You know Naraku would have preferred the other one." She gestured for Kagome to turn around and began helping her out of her comfortable yukata and into the furisode. 

"I will take whatever victories I can, no matter how small. He's got me for the time being. The least I should be able to do is wear the clothes I want," she said, holding her arms up while Kagura tied the obi around her waist. 

"I don't understand how you can stay so positive in such a negative situation." She double checked her work, making sure the knot was secure.

Kagome turned on the spot, taking Kagura's hands in her own.

Kagura froze, shoulders tensing. The last time someone had reached out to touch her was the night Naraku ripped out her heart.

"I don't uderstand why you're even here when I can tell you despise Naraku. But that's personal, so I won't pry."

Kagura arched a brow, unsure of where she was going with this.

"What I'm trying to say is this: I came here with one goal in mind."

"To save your silver haired lover?"

Kagome shook her head, face turning serious. 

"To kill Naraku. For good, this time."

Kagura couldn't suppress the smirk this time, letting it spread over her face. "Then I guess we really are allies. And what a grand ally I shall be: I can look into Naraku's mind."

* * *

 

Kagura and Kagome walked a few paces behind Naraku as they made their way through town.

Kagura grimaced when the stench of the sake house hit her nose: a lurid combination of hot liquor, sweat, smoke, and vomit. _And urine... Humans are disgusting creatures when they are inebriated._ When they finally reached the bustling structure the smell was over whelming.

A wave of cheers broke out when the townsfolk spotted Naraku. Two young women ho had previously been pouring sake for customers dropped what they were doing and flocked to his side. "Lord Naraku, you've finally returned! We were so worried, not hearing from you for so long," one woman said, looping an arm around Naraku's.

The other nodded before following suit. "We thought for sure that the demon you were pursuing must have over come you."

Naraku laughed an empty laugh. "Do you really have so little faith in your demon slayer? Have I not proven myself time and time again?"

The two women shook their heads. The first girl was the first to speak up again. "No of course not! We were just worried because you've never been gone this long before," she said, turning to glare at the second girl. "Emi is the one who came up with that ridiculous theory."

The second woman, now identified as Emi, made an offended noise in the back of her throat. "Yuuka, you were just as scared as I was! I was just the only one brave enough to voice my fears."

"Now girls, be calm. I jest." Kagura cringed when he gave that empty laugh again. Yuuka and Emi smiled at him and led him to a table where they began pouring his drink and snatching food from other tables.

Kagura remained out side with Kagome, waiting for his signal to bring her in. _Naraku is nothing if not dramatic._ Kagome was shifting from foot to foot awkwardly, clearly not used to the height of the Geta she was wearing.

"The reason my return was delayed is simple. I ran into another demon during my return trip. A half breed mongrel who fancies himself a lord." As soon as he started talking the room grew quiet and every pair of eyes was glued to him.

Kagura rolled her eyes. _He loves being the center of attention. And they are all to willing to oblige._

"When I came upon his castle I was surprised to find young Kagome was being held prisoner by this loathsome beast after murdering her poor old grandfather." He shook his head, face putting on a convincing act of sadness.

Gasps echoed through the room.

"Poor Kagome."

"What happened?"                                                                  

"Did you slay him?"

"Now we have to worry about half demons as well?"

"Did you save Kagome?"

"Alas, I could not slay the half demon. His numbers were too many and my chief concern was Kagome's safety."

 _This is my cue._ Kagura pressed a light hands on Kagome's back, ushering her up into the structure. She led Kagome, head bowed, to Naraku's side and helped her sit down.

There was a string of dreamy sighs. Yuuka and Emi both looked upset, arms crossed over their chests.

"Why was Kagome even there?" Emi asked through a sneer, glaring daggers at Kagome.

"The old man went missing in the woods! Kagome, being the brave and adventurous person she is, went after him to try and save him. She was, however, too late. Her beloved grandfather was dead. Struck down by this monster for trespassing on his land."

"Oh the poor dear."

_These people couldn't care less about the old man. All they ever did was complain how crazy he was. And how much of a menace he was, throwing sutras at unsuspecting villagers and causing all kinds of mayhem._

_"_ By the time I arrived, he'd forced Kagome into agreeing to marry him."

Gasps of horror, this time.

"Luckily, I was able to sneak her out in the dead of night and bring her back home, to safety."

Kagome's hands were fisted in the skirt of her furisode, the white of her knuckles a stark contrast to the red silk.

"And now she's back. As thanks for saving her life she has agreed to marry me." He bowed his head, placing a hand on Kagome's back telling her to bow as well. Kagura found herself wondering if anyone else picked up on the slight jump Kagome did before she bowed. "Please look kindly upon us and grant us your blessing."

The townsfolk surrounded them, cheering and voicing their consent. Several of the older women approached Kagome to tell her they were glad she was okay and how sorry they were that her grandfather was dead. Kagura couldn't tell if they were sincere or not.

She could see that Kagome was making a concerted effort to play along. The cracks were starting to show, though. _No doubt from Naraku's colorful retelling._

So much was happening all at once that Kagome couldn't see a thing that was going on. Kagura watched, on edge, as one extremely drunk old man stumbled over to Naraku. Naraku caught his arm when he lost his footing and leaned his mouth closer to the old man's ear. The wrinkled face lit up when Naraku pulled away. The old man gave an exuberant nod and Naraku patted him on the shoulder. 

Kagome turned when the old man called her name. He gave her a large sheepish grin before addressing the whole room. "We have a bit of a situation here, my fellow villagers!" He gestured towards Kagome with large, over exaggerated motions. "We seem to have forgotten our special custom for an engagement ceremony."

_I have a bad feeling about this..._

The villagers crowded around Kagome, sharing broad smiles. Kagome's arms came up to her chest looking just as uneasy about this as Kagura felt. Then they started singing.

**"Here is a little virgin girl,**

**Promised to be wed.  
**

**She came here in her virgin clothes  
**

**And dreams within her head."**

Naraku stayed at the table, clapping along with the villagers song. A dark smirk playing on his lips while their attention was not focused on him.

**"This man sought blessings**

**for her hand,  
**

**and blessings we provide.**

**Now she leaves, a woman true,**

**this mans' future bride."**

The man grabbed at one of Kagome's sleeve, ripping the long tail. Kagome's eyes widened and she drew back her hand. The fabric ripped in a jagged line leaving frayed strings in its place.

**"Rip the tails right to the seams,**

**her innocence is dead."**

The two women from before, Yuuka and Eri stepped forward and latched on to the remaining tail. They made a messier job, ripping more that was necessary and displacing the front of her kimono.

**"Let all men know to cease the chase**

**Naraku warms her bed!"**

Kagome was flung to the ground, tears welling in her eyes. Kagura could tell she wanted to scream, to yell, to do  _anything._ The women fought over the tattered red silk around her.

"Master..." Kagura said, leaning in to Naraku's ear so he could hear her over the din.

He cut his eyes at her, pupils narrowing in menacing pinpoints. She nodded towards Kagome with a question on her face.

His lips pressed together, before turning back to the villagers. "I'm afraid my fiancee is feeling over stimulated. Being held prisoner has affected her many unknown ways. I'll have to send her back to rest. I'm sure you all understand."

There was a collective groan. Kagura used the break in activity to squeeze her way through the villagers to Kagome. She bent down and grabbed her arm. Kagome's eyes shot up to her's, ready to start a fight. Kagura saw the realization flash in her eyes and Kagome sagged into her hands. She looked relieved to see her. 

There was a strange tickle in Kagura's chest. She pushed it out of her mind. She didn't have time for emotions to try and resurface. She needed to get Kagome out of there before she could do something to blow their plan.

"But, I'll be staying to continue our celebration. I believe it is customary for the groom to buy drinks?"

Kagura tucked Kagome under her arm and led her out of the building. 

"Block him out," Kagome said, between clenched teeth. 

Kagura nodded and walked them into the alley beside the sake house. Glancing over both shoulders, she made sure no one was able to see or hear them. She closed her eyes and focused on the mental image of a door shutting in Naraku's face. It was no longer necessary for her to visualize to shut him out but Kagura found great pleasure in it, all the same. "Done. What is it?"

"I feel uneasy leaving him alone with the villagers. They're very impressionable and you've seen how he likes to manipulate them to his will. Please, can we stay and listen?"

The tickle was back.  _What the hell **is**_ _that_? "Of course. It unsettles me, as well."

They both crouched down below the window.

"The poor child must have been so traumatized by the whole ordeal."

Naraku sighed. "You have no idea of the extent to which this has affected her. She even made me promise never to go after the demon for fear of my safety."

A mix of awws and frustrated huffs emitted from the window.

"This-this  _beast_  is true evil personified. I only wish there was something I could do to ensure her safety."

"You should go back there and put that mutt down!"

"Yes, the girl will come to her senses eventually and when she does she will thank you for it!"

"If we don't go after him now, he'll soon come after us, too!"

"You're right. I hadn't thought of it that way." There was the soft sound of fabric ruffling and feet planting on the floors. "We need to kill the beast before he poses a threat to anyone else. He's already killed a defenseless old man, who is to say he wouldn't come after our children?"

This really seemed to rile them up.

Kagura saw Kagome shifting, moving to stand and intervene. Kagura grabbed her arm and dragged her back down. She clapped a hand to Kagome's mouth when she saw her lips part.

"We need to end him!"

"All right," Naraku said. "One more round of drinks and then we'll go!"

"For our town!"

"For our children!"

"For our safety!"

"For the old man."

"For Kagome," Naraku added. They all clinked there glasses and cheers rang through the otherwise still night air.

Kagome's eyes were wild and she was clawing at Kagura's hands. Kagura tugged her to her feet and further into the alley. SHe pulled out her fan and sliced it through the air in a hasty motion. The white winds whirled around them and when they died out they were back in Kagome's room.

Kagura finally let Kagome push her way out of her grip, gasping with anger and the urge to cry.

"Why would he do that?! We had a deal!" Her eyes went wide. "We need to warn InuYasha. He won't be prepared." Kagome started stripping out of her ruined furisode. I promise to help you get you heart back and put an end to Naraku. Will you help me?"

Kagura starred at her, at a complete loss for words.  _How did she figure out about my heart?_ She shook her head, smiling to herself.  _Of course she would know. I shouldn't even be surprised after everything I've seen her accomplish._ She met Kagome's fierce gaze with one of her own. "How can I say no to my ally?"


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Kill the Beast!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, there were a bunch of changes going on at work so it's just been easier for me to come home and play mindless video games.  
> BUT.  
> I am back. Things have settle down at work now and the stress has minimized. So I'm going to try and post a chapter each week on Sunday/Monday until this story comes to a close.  
> So with out further ado, enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Fifteen: Kill the Beast!**

Naraku was seething. Only on the inside.  _How could she have possibly thought that she would get away with wearing that mutt's colors_? He took a long swig from his cup.  _She must have known there would be repercussions for defying me in such a brazen fashion._ The image of her face, so confused, so frightened. That had set his skin tingling. He stared at the liquid in his cup, swirling it.

It wasn't like he actually cared for her. He hadn't cared for anything since he ceased to be Onigumo. All he wanted of her was was to monopolize her powers but somehow he always ended up doing this. One way or the other. He would obsess over something,  _covet_  it, and in the end he would destroy it. Watching with an odd sense of satisfaction as it cracked and shattered in his hands.

Perhaps it was because of Onigumo's father. His father, Heisuke, had been a selfish man. Onigumo's mother died in childbirth and somehow ended up in Heisuke's care. Heisuke despised Onigumo. Blamed him for everything that went wrong in his life. He would bate Onigumo, dangling something precious in front of him, just beyond his reach.

Once, he'd made Onigumo go several days on nothing but small sips of water. Heisuke came home the last day with a bet full of fish. At this point, Onigumo was child, no more than six years old. He'd shoved the still wriggling fish into Onigumo's stubby, chubby arms and told him if he wanted to eat he would have to cook for himself. He then proceeded to drag out a cask of liquor and drink himself into a stupor.

Onigumo spent hours that night trying start a fire and cook his dinner. When he finally had the fire hot enough and, after several failed attempts and bloodied finger tips, figured out how to skewer the fish he was exhausted. Somehow he'd fallen asleep and when he woke up his father had devoured all but one fish. Onigumo hurried to fetch the last fish. His face fell when he saw the state of it: black and shriveled. Burnt to a crisp. His stomach growled in dismay. He took in a deep breath and bit in. Tears welled in his eyes as powdery ash filled his mouth. Onigumo went to bed hungry again that night.

Naraku blinked, shaking his head.  _How odd... Onigumo's memories haven't bled through like that in years._

Naraku sneered down at his cup. Onigumo had been a pathetic, weak man. Even in the moment of his death. Naraku was strong. The embodiment of everything Onigumo had meant to become but failed to achieve in life. Naraku had power and command respect. Onigumo was a resentful child, stealing what he felt entitled to. Naraku had no need for theft: everything he wanted was handed to him willingly.

 _Except Kagome... She has put up a fight at every turn._ Perhaps that was the true source of his desire for her. The chase. The thrill of seeing how she will react. The unknown.  _And last of all the punishment . Her prideful nature tested and bent until she snapped._  He looked forward to seeing her break.  _The same way she made me break._  He shook his head again, tamping down on the seeping thoughts and emotions that are all that remains of Onigumo. He really needed to proceed with caution. It was often when he got overly emotional that the human's consciousness began to leak.

 _And now she's somehow managed to enlist the aid of my minion._ His grip on the cup tightened, shattering the brittle clay thing in his hand.  _Damn it, Onigumo._

"Lord Naraku, are you alright?" one of the annoying women asked. She brought over a white linen to clean up the blood trickling from a small gash in the center of his palm. She was staring up at him with wide, admiring eyes.

_Disgusting._

He put on his dashing smile, watching her melt before him. "I am fine. Probably had a little too much sake on an empty stomach."

She shot up quickly to her feet. "Let me get you some snacks, that should help. Can't have you slaying demons drunk!"

Naraku was more than prepared to strike down the half demon. He would practically be able to do it in his sleep, to be honest. He knew Kagome had overheard his conversation. He knew the old man was still alive. He knew Kagura was helping her. Though he'd yet to understand why. Without her heart, Kagura should be too indifferent to make such emotionally driven decisions. Although now that she'd figured out how to block him out he rarely got the chance to sift through her mind.

 _It doesn't matter. Minions can be replaced. I can always create another. Perhaps the next time I will consider not giving them a heart in the first place._ He smirked down at the gash in his hand.  _For now though, Kagome is my main priority._

The scene played out splendidly in his mind: Kagura would appear with Kagome just in time to see him killing InuYasha. He would decide from there what to do with Kagome, based upon her reaction. As for Kagura… Perhaps he should give her a subtle reminder of what is at stake should she choose to cross him again.

The woman returned with a plate of rice balls and some medical supplies. She made short work of cleaning and dressing his cut while he polished off the food she'd brought. He flexed his hand and stood. "Come friends, it is time we lay waste to this foul beast."

* * *

 

Sango peaked her head around the library door, trying to quietly check on InuYasha. She was worried about him. Ever since Kagome disappeared he's been all sad smiles and heavy sighs.  _And deflection. Lots of deflection. I'm positive he knows more than he's letting on. Otherwise Kagome's absence wouldn't be affecting him so much._

"I know you're there Sango."

Sango started, stumbling over her own feet before clearing her throat and joining him on the second level. He was laying on the couch, a book close to his face, the fire casting a soft orange glow over his face. "Master, how may I be of assistance?" She curtsied.

"You know you don't have to treat me so formally anymore, least of all when we're alone," InuYasha said, placing the book over his stomach. "And if you're doing so out of some sense of guilt, don't. I am the only guilty party in any of this. It was childish and stupid of me to treat you all the way I did."

"Mast- umm,  _InuYasha_ ," Sango started, correcting herself when she saw his brow crease. "You couldn't possibly be the only one responsible for the way things have become. Miroku and I have often wondered what would have happened if we had just  _been_ here when your mother passed. If we had been here to support you and reinforce that none of this was your fault."

His brows had drawn together, mulling over the thought. He opened his mouth to say something but Sango cut him off. "I know there's no guarantee that it would have changed anything. And if none of this had happened you would  _never_ have met Kagome and fallen helplessly in love with her."

He opened his mouth again.

Sango interrupted him again. "Since we're already speaking candidly, I'm going to come out and ask, as your friend, are you really okay?"

He sighed heavily and sat up, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He buried his face in his hands.

Sango took this as a sign to join him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "InuYasha, what is it?"

"I'm so...scared," He finally admitted after a lengthy pause.

"Scared? What are you scared of? You don't think Kagome's in any danger, do you?"

"No it's not that. I just- I have no doubt that Kagome can handle herself in most situations." Sango nodded. "I also have no doubt that she is going to come back… But what if she doesn't make it back in time to break the curse?"

Sango snorted. "You really don't like being a half demon, do you?"

He glared at her. "This isn't about me!" His voice rose, suddenly serious. "How can you laugh at a time like this? If we don't break the curse soon, no one will be able to age." Sango's face must have clearly displayed her shock because he paused and let out a deep breath before speaking again. "What if you and Miroku can never have that child you've been trying so hard for?"

Sango felt her heart tightening in her chest. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You are  _so good._ "

"Sango," he groaned in annoyance, but didn't try to wriggle out of her arms.

She pulled back, wiping the dampness from her eyes. "You don't know how good it is to have you back to normal. To have my friend back."

He frowned before pulling her into a hesitant hug. "I'm such an idiot."

Sango laughed, sniffling as she patted his back. "You've always been an idiot, InuYasha. I've missed this idiot though." She knocked lightly on the back of his head with a knuckle. "Even if the curse isn't broken, we'll all just be glad that you're you again… with adorable cat ears."

He pulled back. "Dog ears." He fixed her with a stern look that she could just see the playfulness hiding under.

"You really need to quit lying to yourself on that." Sango smiled. "Kagome told me all about the  _purring_."

Sango watched his cheeks tinge red. "Wait, if she told you about that-"

Sango let an evil smirk play over her lips. "Yes, she told me every juicy detail. I can't  _wait_ to pick her brain about the night you proposed."

His entire face went red this time. "Sango, please, we're all friends here but there are some lines you shouldn't cross-"

The door flew open and Miroku rushed into the room, panting and looking alarmed. "InuYasha, there's something wrong."

InuYasha stood, brow quirked in confusion. "What is it?"

"There's a mob outside with torches and weapons. They're chanting something about 'killing a beast'."


End file.
